Goodnight, Stars
by Cinnamon Sunrise
Summary: COMPLETE! Lily Evans recalls her life...Basically a memoir of Lily, MWPP, and life. Mostly just Lily and James fluff, but different...? R 'n R please! POST-OOTP
1. Introduction

*****Note: I've changed a few lines in this chapter to make it flow with the rest of the story better*****

**Title: Goodnight, Stars**

**Author: Cinnamon Sunrise**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all related to Harry Potter. I own nothing.  This little story was created in my head but everything in it is owned by Joanne Kathleen Rowling.**

**Author's Note: Hm, well this may be confusing at first; the ending will tie it all together.  This chapter (1) is just an introduction.  The rest of the story is structured a bit different.  I wanted to put up the entire thing at once, but I decided to do it with an intro, and then a few chunks of chapters, just to get some reviews and stuff. Be honest with reviews.  Nice ones make my day, and criticism makes my story better.  _I'd really appreciate if you could read and review; and if you like it, tell your friends! =) _**

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_They were awful. Dreadfully awful.   The absolute worst, most troublesome and annoying boys ever to live in the Gryffindor house.  All four of them.  __Peter__, he wasn't like them.  He spent every second of his time at __Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry trying to fit in with the others. And I do give Remus credit for his excellent school work; he was the fellow Gryffindor perfect with me in our year.  He could be very nice, and I did have a few meaningful conversations with him during our meeting breaks. However, more often than not, he could be as bad as the others, even worse at times.  He was the smart one, the thinker of the group. Instead of focusing his attention on important, school matters, he wasted it developing new pranks for the others.  They all were constantly planning and plotting some new "joke," however I didn't find any of their pranks funny.  Someone always ended in tears, or fighting them at the least.  No, those tricks weren't one bit funny.  They'd even tried to pull them on me.  Told off the lot, especially Remus.  As prefects, we were responsible for upholding the rules, not breaking them.  Honestly though, the worst part about the foursome was the flock of ladies they magnetized.  They followed them everywhere, and the boys enjoyed every minute.  Arrogant bunch of boys, and yet they seemed to attract every girl in the school.  I had my issues with them, of course, especially __James__Potter__.  He wasn't nearly as good-looking as Sirius Black, his partner in crime and best friend, but he had his fans.  Especially when he was on a broomstick.  When Gryffindor played, the stands were twice as full. Young ladies who didn't give a hoot about Quidditch would come and cheer for __James__.  Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs; heck even a few Slytherin girls bought red and gold scarves just to wear to the matches.  It was rather scary, actually, but __James__…he loved every minute of it.  Now Sirius, he had quite a reputation at school.  He could have any girl he wanted, since nearly every girl wanted him.  Never seen a person have as many flings as Sirius.  Remus had one girlfriend most of his time at Hogwarts, yet it seems to me they broke up at least once a month.  __Peter__…he wasn't like the others with ladies.  Nice, nice boy, but not nearly as handsome as the others.  I do believe he finally dated a bit 7th year.  And __James__…__James__ had a strange infatuation with me.  We were nothing alike, really.  He was a jokester, a prank, a show-off.  He put others down for fun.  His family, the __Potter__ line, one of the purest blooded families left.  And I…I was concerned more with my studies than boys, and I never cared too much that I wasn't as pretty as some of the other girls.  Redheads, unfortunately, are not usually the first choice for men.  But that never stopped _James___.  He followed me around, messing his unruly black hair up with his hands every time I saw him.  I knew it wouldn't work, __James__ and I.  I was a muggle-born, middle class, and I didn't care one way or another what people thought of me.  I spent my time sticking up for people, he spent his bringing them down.  I fought against sexism, he fought for…sex.  However, __Potter__ was charming, and I did find him quiet attractive. Any girl in Hogwarts would have liked to be in my shoes, __James__Potter__ fighting for my attention. I didn't like my position, but there was nothing I could do.  The best years of my life were spent at Hogwarts, and in the presence of __James__Potter__.  I guess it's obvious what happened between us, but maybe I should start at the beginning.  Yes, I think that would be a good idea.  I do hope you're up for a story, because this is a long one indeed._

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cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com


	2. Welcome to Hogwarts

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Welcome to Hogwarts

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns all related to Harry Potter. I own nothing. This little story was created in my head but everything in it is owned by Joanne.

**Author's Note: **The chapters increase in length as you read on. This one is pretty short, but hopefully it's ok. Please r/r/r and let me know what you think!

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_I never dreamed that my life would turn out the way it did. I remember the day the letter came, the day that changed my life. Mum and dad were ecstatic, my sister was nothing short of furious. She told us we were all out of our minds, mental she said, for letting me be enrolled in __Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I think that she was downright jealous. The best place to buy school supplies has always been Diagon Alley. Mum took me there, shortly before term started. Petunia, of course, pretended she didn't want to go. Put up a fight with mum, but knowing her, she was dying to see it. She had always been noisy, and in to everyone's business and I suppose she was interested in, as she called it, "her little sister's freak world." I love Petunia dearly; she is my sister after all. However, she is not the most pleasant person to live with. I was absolutely amazed at the sight of Diagon Alley. Witches, wizards. Everything that letter promised was true. We spent the day buying supplies, looking around, Petunia scowling the entire time. Soon it was time to leave for Hogwarts, and to do that you have to board a train. Problem is, I didn't know how to get to the platform. Magically hidden, you see. And since I was from a muggle family, I had no idea as to where 9 ¾ was. Silly me, I know. But I was alone, and nervous. Dad had to work; Mum had dropped me off, and then taken Petunia to her school orientation. __Miss__ _Petunia___, always insisting mum do everything for her. So there I was, all by myself. Thank goodness __James__Potter__ was there!_

*~*~*

Lily Evans fumbled around in her bag. She had a few pounds, nothing more.  Nothing in Muggle money, at least. "Oh, goodness." Lily thought to herself, receiving strange looks from the station guards. She was 11 years old and alone in the train station. She was smart enough to know that if 9 ¾ wasn't marked, there was no 9 ¾. She had been sitting on her large school trunk for the last 12 minutes, in between platforms 9 and 10. She didn't know what to do, and was on the verge of tears. 

"Need help carrying that?" Asked a boy not much taller than Lily, his hands running through his messy black hair.

"Um," She glanced nervously around before asking the boy, "Are you from Hogwarts?" The boy began to laugh. 

"`Course I am! Muggle-born, eh? Well, the platforms this way then, my mum said you just have to lean and you're through." The boy said, leading her over to a large barrier between platforms. "What did you say your name was again?" He asked while setting her trunk down next to the barrier.

"Lily. Lily Evans." She said, smiling. He was exceptionally cute, she decided.  His hair was a bit messy, but cute.

"Oh, ok, well I'm James Potter." He said, looking around at the people passing by. "Train leaves soon, better go in and get good seats." James leaned against the barrier and disappeared. 

*~*~*

_James__ showed me how to get across. It was another world on the other side of the barrier, full of young witches and wizards like me. Most of them seemed to be chatting with family and friends, gathered around in little groups, or boarding the large train. I noticed a group of older girls, plastering makeup on and smiling at passing boys. Petunia would have fit right in with them. Gossipy and noisy, at the age of 13 she already preferred makeup and boys to achieving good grades. I, on the other hand, had always preferred staying to myself. I was one of those oddballs who liked school. James liked school too, and if he would have focused more, he probably could have even exceeded me in terms of grades. Oh, but back to the Hogwart's Express. I walked in, nearly every chamber was filled. Girls and boys impressing each other with wand tricks, some catching up on summer holidays. It was an interesting ride, to say the least._

*~*~*

Lily Evans stumbled around the platform. Potter had disappeared and she quickly became lost in the hustle of the crowd. She dragged her trunk onto the train, sitting in an empty compartment. She watched the people walk through, talking loudly, some other first years trying to hide tears. "Lily, right?" A voice coming from the doorway asked. 

"Huh?" Lily said, turning to see who was there.

"Hey, Sirius Black," the handsome boy said, stepping forward to shake her hand. "Listen, do mind if James and I sit in here? Everywhere else is full…"

"Oh, sure." She said, moving her belongings off of the seats. She stared absentmindedly out the window, knowing that she would be sharing a compartment with two of the best looking boys of her year.

"POTTER!" Sirius called, sitting down across from Lily, and James came strutting in.

"Sirius, Lily." He nodded at both of them, taking a seat next to Sirius. They talked in hushed voices, with an occasional snicker, for about 5 minutes. Lily figured they didn't want her to hear the conversation, so she pulled out her copy of Hogwarts: A History, 1971 version. She was paging through it when another figure stumbled through the doorway. 

"Uh, hullo…alheohercoparmetsulsitere?" He said, clearly embarrassed that he didn't have any friends to sit with. James and Sirius sniggered. 

"You want to sit here? Of course!" Lily said, smiling back at the boy. He wasn't nearly as attractive as the other two, but he was cute in his own way. His hair was sandy tan and he had dark brown eyes. He took the empty seat next to Lily, blushing slightly. 

"Names Remus Lupin." He said quietly, glancing between the three sets of eyes looking at him.

"Potter, and that's Black and Ev-Lily." James stated, as if it were his duty to introduce them all. James pulled out a Chocolate Frog, and began to watch it hop around on his arm.

"Wow, is that a real frog?" Lily said in awe.

"Chocolate Frogs? Nah, just chocolate with a spell on it. Do you collect the cards? You know, they just started the new series last year, but I believe I nearly have the entire collection…" Remus said, catching the boys' interests. It turned into a long discussion, and from that moment on, James, Sirius and Remus were virtually inseparable.

*~*~*

_I decided to read up on Hogwarts during the ride. I was determined to succeed at this new school, even if I wasn't from a wizarding family. The boys in my compartment were insufferable, laughing and throwing chocolates around. It was the beginning of an era, I'm afraid. All the same, the ride isn't too long, and when the castle is finally came into view, it was amazing. Wait `til you see it, it's truly grand. Especially that first sight. From that moment, that first sight from the train, dressed in my school robes, I knew that I was as much a part of Hogwarts as any other witch or wizard on that train._

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	3. Prefect Miss Evans

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Prefect Miss Evans

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns all characters, settings, etc. Hopefully you know that…since this _is_ fanfiction…

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_Hogwarts is an amazing school. Especially to someone like me, coming from a muggle home. I never imagined half the things that were at Hogwarts. Ghosts floating around, magical beasts, unicorns. It was incredible. From the trains, we took the boats across the lake, the traditional first year transportation. I sat in a boat with a few other girls. None of us knew each other, but that didn't matter. Nobody was talking, the waves rocked the boats hard and everyone seemed rather nervous as to what was coming once we got into the castle. I heard absurd whispers about how we were all to be sorted into the houses, complete nonsense. I was sorted into Gryffindor, joined by three other girls and five boys, including the 4 marauders. Pre-marauders. We all sat at the Gryffindor table for the feast, and I talked with the girls. They were nice enough, better than the likes of Petunia's friends. Better than spending my time with a bunch of foolish boys. Or so I imagined.  Time passed quickly. I spent my first four years studying hard, achieving top marks in all of my classes. The summer before fifth year I was made a Prefect, thrilling my parents and making Petunia even more sour-spirited towards me. Summer holidays were never fun. Due to Petunia's horrible temperament about the issue, I wasn't allowed to invite friends from school home, though I don't know if I'd ever wanted to bring any of them home. I got along well with the girls in my dormitory, knew a few people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, too. It's just that, I don't know, I always felt like an outsider with them. They all flocked around Sirius Black and co., thought he was so charming. I'd have rather have been doing my Arithmancy work than following those boys around, and the other girls knew it. But we all did get along, and it was enough to make the school terms fun. Anyway, term started back up again, and apparently it was no surprise to the other ladies that I was one of the prefects for Gryffindor. Throughout the last few weeks of summer, I had wondered myself whom I would be attending meetings with. I must say, I was quite surprised when it turned out to be none other than Sirius and Co.'s Remus Lupin._

*~*~*

"Oh, Lily!" Squealed Charlotte Parker, admiring the shinny badge on Lily's robes. "I knew you'd be a prefect!" 

"Charlotte! You're such a dear!" Lily hugged Charlotte.

"Yes, Lily, congratulations." Eliza and Susie, who were talking by the window, said smiling.

"Thank you!" Lily said beaming. "Well, I must go to the prefect compartment, but I shall be back later! Bye girls!" Lily strode out of the Gryffindor girl's compartment towards the section marked "5th Year Prefects." Opening the door, she found herself surrounded by familiar faces. Amos and Estella from Hufflepuff, Richard and Annette of Ravenclaw, Snape and Desdemona from Slytherin. Lily looked around, quickly noticing that she was the only Gryffindor. "Hi, Annette!" She said, trying earnestly to make conversation with her fellow prefect. 

"Lily." Annette nodded smugly, adjusting her badge. "Where's the other Gryffindor prefect? Or did they think that you could handle the job all by yourself? I'm sure you would like that, wouldn't you?" Annette said coolly. Lily sighed and walked away, remembering the reason she and Annette had never been on good terms. Seems Annette just thought too highly of herself to let Lily outshine her academically _and _socially. Lily looked out the window, watching the station disappear behind them. The prefects were required to be in the compartment 5 minutes before departure. Lily sat down with the rest of the new prefects, anxiously twirling her new silver locket that she had been given for being made a prefect, as Thomas Brown, head boy and heartthrob of 7th year, walked in. Alice Cunningham, the head girl, followed close behind, slipping into the first chair she saw.

"Hello, fellow students! Congratulations on being made prefects this year. Now let's see," he said, doing a quick headcount as Alice continued to read her book. "We seem to be missing one. Hm, must be Gryffindor, eh?" Thomas said, studying the faces. The two Slytherins were sniggering loudly, Thomas was scowling. 

"Miss, uh, Evans? Who is your fellow prefect?" Thomas inquired, paging through his list and looking annoyed.

"Erm, I'm not sure, Thom-" Lily began, but was interrupted when the compartment door slid open. 

"Hi." Remus Lupin said quietly, slinking around Thomas and sitting in the empty seat next to Lily. 

"You're late!" Thomas said, rolling his eyes. A fellow Gryffindor himself, Thomas went back to his lecture. "But anyway, congratulations on being made Prefects. A huge responsibility is in your hands, it is your duty to make sure your fellow classmates are on their best behavior, and to make sure Hogwarts is a prime learning environment. It is your duty…." As Thomas continued, Lily shot Remus a sour look. Lupin bit his lip and looked back at her apologetically. "This is going to be a long year…" Lily thought, refocusing on Thomas' lecture.

*~*~*

_Busy plotting pranks for the year, I'm sure; he arrived late to our first meeting on the train. I knew it was going to be a long year, as I'd be in charge of most of the 5th year Prefect duties. Can't have a trouble maker in charge of keeping peace. He was nice, though. Always smiling, even when he looked gravely ill, which was quite often. I took my duties very seriously, scolding James and Sirius and co. more times than I could count. Fifth year brought O.W.L.s, ordinary wizarding level exams, and it also brought on __James__Potter__'s constant harassment. "Go out with me __Lily__, and I'll do this." "Date me, __Lily__, and I'll stop goofing off." "__Lily__, just one date."__ I wanted to give him a nice little slap, but I was a prefect, and that would not have been appropriate. Instead, I just spat out an absolute "No!" every time he asked. I believe on a couple of accounts I told him I'd rather date the giant squid, and I was serious. Ha, ha, you laugh now, but at the time…It was not one bit funny to me. The other girls gave me strange looks, and I was called quite a few mean names. "You know you like him, __Lily__, just say yes!" got too repetitive, so eventually it changed into me thinking too much of myself. After all, who except __Lily__Evans__ would refuse a date with the dashingly handsome Quidditch star __James__Potter__? _

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**Author's Note: Ok this story is kind of different, isn't it? It's my first fic, so I hope its ok! Please let me know how you like it by emailing or leaving a review. Thanks so much!**

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	4. Secrets Revealed

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Secrets Revealed 

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 (this is the chapter where it starts to earn its rating…swearing and stuff)

**Disclaimer:** Everything (-minus my crazy plot stuff) = J.K.Rowling's. Nobody else's. 

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_My sixth year started out fine, still working with Remus, monitoring student behavior in the halls and such. Away from his friends he was a great guy. Really. But I couldn't help notice that he looked, well, horrible a lot of the time. Pale, puffy-eyes, and scraggly. At the time, I figured he must be sickly, or have problems at home, something along those lines. His cloaks were dingy and patched; I assumed it was because his parents spent all of their money on medical bills. Remus had a girlfriend named __Marian__, who was also a Gryffindor, though one year younger. She had long, wavy brown hair and freckles. She was quite a sweetheart, really, but I felt horrible for the two of them. Never have I seen a couple breakup and get back together as many times as those two did. Sirius had the pick of the school; younger and older girls alike were constantly swooning around him. Must have dated nearly every girl in the school at sometime or another, but he was more than just a handsome womanizer, I promise you that. I always watched the foursome in the common room, joking and smiling about. Every single one of them seemed to have the truest friendship, something that I found myself envying. Even __Peter__, the near outcast of the group for much of the early years, had eventually been accepted almost fully.  My life, on the other hand, was completely different. I had friends, but as I said earlier, they weren't anything special. I found myself alone most of the time, while the other girls chased around boys or practiced beauty spells. One night, I found myself in the empty common room, absolutely bored, so I decided to visit my friend Hagrid. He lives on the school grounds; pleasant fellow, he is. Anyways, what I didn't realize was that on the night of a full moon, traveling near the forbidden forest is defiantly not the most intelligent thing to do. _

*~*~*

Lily Evans shivered as she walked into the cool fall air. The smell of autumn was in the air; crisp colored leaves from the forbidden forest, dewy grass, ripening pumpkins. Lily ducked into the shadows. It was nearly ten at night, but being a prefect allowed Lily the privilege to be on the grounds. However, she supposed, visiting a friend may not be the best reason. "Oh well," she thought. "Prefect Lily Evans never does anything shocking," not that this was even bad. Lily pulled her cloak tighter; the crisp air blew around her. The full moon shown brightly between the shadows of trees, eerily illuminating the grounds. Muffled voices were talking near the Whomping Willow. Lily paused to see who the people were, and she immediately recognized James' Quidditch-toned figure. He was strictly forbidden to be out so late, and Potter was never one Lily went easy on.

"Evans?!" A voice called, drawing nearer.

"Huh? How'd you know…?" Lily said puzzled, as James approached holding a piece of parchment. "James, as a prefect, I must ask what you are doing out here. Curfew was at-"

"Oh, Merlin Evans, lighten up. Here, you really need to get back inside. I'll walk you back, love, come on…"

"Love?!" Lily spat, disgusted. "Potter I demand to know what's going on here!"

"Lily." He said, reaching for her arm. His tone had changed. "Please Evans, I'm not kidding. Go inside."

"YOU are telling ME to get inside?" Lily said, shocked that someone was ordering her around. "Potter, I would advise you not to touch my arm again, and please leave me alone. I do not know what you are up to out here, but be aware that Professor Dumbledore will be made fully aware of this encounter. Goodnight." Lily began to walk briskly towards Hagrid's hut. She felt an arm on her shoulder. "Potter, let go of me!" She screamed. 

"Ev-Lily, please! Please come with me!" James said, tightening his grip. He was no less that shocked when Lily's hand struck his face. 

"I told you not to touch me." She said, watching James wince in pain as he drew his hand up to his cheek. 

"Potter, where the HELL are you?" A voice from the woods shouted. Lily instantly recognized it as Sirius'. Lily stared at James, wondering if they were planning some awful prank on a first year again. "Potter! Get your sorry arse back here! The damn button on this damn tree is stuck or something-" 

"James!" Lily heard Remus' voice, sounding frantic. Through the moonlight, Lily saw all the color leave James' face, a horrified expression on his face. 

"Sirius, just try it again! Oh MERLIN! EVANS IS OUT HERE, SIRIUS!" He yelled, terror-struck. "Evans." He whispered pleadingly, before grabbing her and leading her back near the castle. They neared the Willow, where Lily saw Sirius, also looking aghast. Lily looked around for Lupin, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Not…safe…forest...moon…werewolves…dangerous…get…inside…" James was panting, as he dragged Lily on. Too late.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Lily screamed. She froze in horror while James whipped around.

"Dammit. PADFOOT! Do something! Evans…" James called frantically, but it seemed Sirius had disappeared. The place that he had been standing moments earlier was now occupied with a large werewolf. Lily began to panic. "Oh Merlin, I'm going to die!" She thought. "The only way to repel a werewolf is with silver…" Professor Renaldi's voice echoed through her mind. Her finger twisted around the long silver locket chain on her neck. She ripped the necklace off, dangling it in front of the snarling werewolf. Her common sense disappeared as she prepared to lunge and stab the wolf with the heart-shaped silver locket. However, before she could make a move, she felt herself fall to the ground, surrounded by a white light. "I've died. I've really freaking died." Lily thought, blinded by the glow. Seconds later, the forest was back in focus, but James was gone. The werewolf's leg was being bitten at by a large black dog. 

"James?" She called quietly, but he was gone. A large white stag came trotting near, nudging Lily to get on. She complied with its wish, and it ran her gracefully back to the castle, dropping her off at one of the castle entrances and disappearing back into the forest. "James? Sirius? Remus?" She called back into the woods, receiving no response. She looked at the timepiece on the wall as she stumbled back into the castle. 10:38. Not wanting to get into any trouble, she thought it would be best to head straight to the common room. On her way, she saw Pettigrew heading outside. Lily couldn't dare punish anyone right now; she was too worried about the other 3 boys outside.  

*~*~*

_And there was a werewolf that night. It was awful. Big, gray, and hungry; lunging towards me with huge fangs. Terrifying. If __James__ hadn't been there, for that matter under any other circumstances, I would have been eaten alive. He saved me, with help from Sirius, although I was more confused than anything at the time. I was brought back to the castle by a stag, and hurried along to the common room once inside. I waited for hours, until the portrait hole finally opened._

*~*~*

Lily looked at the clock on the wall. 3:59 am. She was the only one in the common room, of course, and she was sitting, still shaken up, on a couch. She was dreadfully worried about the boys, and was considering going to Professor Dumbledore, however, after James' rescue attempts, she didn't feel like getting him into trouble. She was quite confused about the black dog and the stag, which seemed to appear out of nowhere, and was pondering that thought when the portrait hole swung open. Lily straightened up, waiting for Sirius and co. to walk in. However, nobody appeared. This confused Lily until she saw James', Sirius', and Remus' heads appeared out of nowhere. "Invisibility cloak." Lily realized. They were walking silently towards the boys' dorm, all looking pale and grim, until James noticed Lily sitting on the couch. 

"Evans." He said, walking over. The other two boys followed. "Lily, I think you need to come with us." James looked at Remus, who nodded. 

"Some things you need to know." Remus looked especially horrible and wasn't making eye contact. Lily noticed one of his arms was gashed up and bleeding profusely.

"Your arm-" Lily began.

"Come on, Lily. We'll talk in the dorm." Sirius said, helping Lily off the couch and leading the group into the 6th year boys' dorm. Lily had never been in the boys' dormitories before, and she noticed they were much smaller than the girls'.

"Sit down," James motioned to one of the large four-poster beds. Lily sat down silently, and the boys gathered around her. "Black, where the hell is Wormtail?" James said suddenly.

"Oy! I saw him going outside when I was walking in! You'd, WE'D, better go find him, he really shouldn't be out there with a werewolf-" The boys broke the grim tone with muffled laughter. "What? It's not funny, you know. He may not be that smart, but he doesn't deserve being in dang-"

"He's not in danger." Lupin said simply.

"What do you mean? I almost get eaten, and you tell me that's not being in danger. HAH. So funny, wasn't it?! Probably will use that as some sort of Merlin-awful prank next full moon-"

"Actually, Pad-Sirius has already tried that." James smacked Sirius' arm.

"It was just Snivellous…"

"Wow, ok well, I obviously was wrong in not reporting this whole incident to Dumbledore right away. If you'll just excuse me-"

"Lily, please no!" Remus begged, the laughter leaving his voice. "I'll probably be kicked out of here if they know other students are in danger, and Hogwarts is my only chance to make something of my, my horrible life." Remus looked at his feet.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, confused.

"Peter, Peter isn't in danger, Lily. There are no werewolves out there, the only werewolf on Hogwarts' grounds is," James stammered, exchanging nodding glances with the other two. "Is in this room."

"Huh?" Lily had a horrified yet confused look on her face.

"It was me, Lily." Lupin swallowed hard. "I was the one who almost killed you. I didn't mean to, honest, it's just that, I can't control myself when I'm," he gulped, "when I'm a monster." Lily sat with wide eyes. Everything was making sense now. The horrified Sirius in the woods, the disappearance of Remus, his sickly appearance, why he couldn't have a stable relationship. Lily was shaking. James put his arm on her shoulder, and to his surprise she didn't slap him in return. Lily felt terrible for Remus, being a werewolf was one of the most taboo things in the wizarding world; Lily had learned this from Professor Renaudi in her Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She reached out and touched his hand.

"It's okay, Remus, really." She looked into his watery brown eyes. 

"If it wasn't for Hogwarts," he said thoughtfully, "and for James and Sirius, I'd have nothing." Lily didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter, because Sirius had already begun.

"Lily, there's more you should know." James nodded in agreement. 

*~*~*

_The boys came in and told me everything. It wasn't the first close call, but nobody had ever heard the full story. Nobody knew the full truth except the four, and they told it all to me. Moony's secret, the illegal Animagi secret, the Whomping Willow, everything. The thing is, at first I was rather upset with them, for living such hidden lives, endangering students and such. But after their speech, I felt close to them, almost like the fifth Marauder. They explained that, too. The map, the hidden passages, everything. While __James__ was showing me the map, we saw that Pettigrew was wandering out in the woods, so Sirius decided to go find him. _James___ and Remus and I stayed in the room. It was early, and there was no point in going to sleep now. Pretty soon, it was time to leave for breakfast in the Great Hall. I didn't sit with the boys, and I don't think I even talked to any of them for the rest of the day. However, I knew secrets shared by only the four of them. From that morning on, I was forever more the fifth friend._

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**Author's Note: I really hope this story isn't as dumb as I feel it is. Just for your info, I'm a paid member on ff.net, so if you want to be filled in when I update, just check the little "author alerts" button, and **_don't forget to review_**!**

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	5. Sweet like Honeyduke's

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Sweet like Honeyduke's

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 (kissy-kissy, and as seen in previous chapters, Sirius can swear. So can I.)

**Disclaimer:** *Yawn* HARRY POTTER AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS, SETTINGS, THEMES, and EVENTS belong to JOANNE KATHLEEN ROWLING. NOBODY ELSE. (like you ever thought they were mine,…psht!)

**A/N:** This chapter is the longest yet, but I hope it's not too much. 

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_Autumn leaves Hogwarts smelling sweet, like pumpkins, cinnamon, and ginger cookies. It was nice, being friends with the Marauders. James stopped his constant requests for me to go out with him, which was a relief. However, he spent much of his time on the Quidditch pitch, so we didn't see much of each other outside of classes and meals. Peter didn't talk much, mostly tried to work up to the standards of the other Marauders. Sirius was content with his many girlfriends, although he was a great guy to hang around with. On days that I was depressed, school work, my other so-called friends, Sirius could always make me laugh. A hug from Sirius brightened any day. Remus and I attended meetings together, joking and laughing as we walked to and from them. The boys weren't nearly as arrogant and egotistical as I thought they were. It was nice, wonderful, to have friends; real friends. Charlotte, and the rest of the Gryffindor girls were constantly backstabbing each other, a girl activity I wanted no part of. The more I got to know the boys, the more I separated myself from the girls. Rumors flew about __James__ and I, of course nothing was true. James had Quidditch, I was constantly studying. Not that I would have minded what they were saying being true; the older I got, and the more I got to know the Marauders, the more James' previous offers were beginning to grow on me. Autumn comes to a close with All Hollow's __Eve__, one of the most celebrated days in the wizarding world. The Halloween feast at Hogwarts was lovely, and I remember sitting with the Marauders, talking about silly pranks that they'd pulled years past. With our blooming friendship, talk about pranks and broken school rules bothered me less and less. They were a very bad influence on me; I realized why Remus had never deducted a point off of anyone besides a Slytherin. James rambled about his Quidditch team, as any new captain would tend to do. I can remember the first Quidditch match that year, Gryffindor crushed Slytherin._

*~*~*

"And we have James **Potter**, seeker and captain of **Gryffindor!**" The stands erupted in applause as James flew onto the field. Girls stood up and cheered, smiling and waving their crimson and gold scarves at the raven haired seeker as he flew around the field. Lily sat in between Sirius and Remus (Peter was finishing a potions paper due ages ago), who were both standing and cheering in mockery. 

"James! James! Oh Merlin, Remus! He _looked_ at me!" Sirius said, the two boys laughing hysterically, as James noticed from his position on the field and rolled his eyes. Lily laughed and pulled them both down. They watched as James showed off on his broomstick while looking for the snitch, doing special dives and swoops across the field, impressing all of his many fans. 

"Never seen someone with as big of a head as James." Lily said to Remus, who laughed in reply.

"If you think he's bad now, you should hear him talk about girls. Only person that's ever turned him down is you." Sirius said, while Lily blushed scarlet. "Nah, Lily, that was the best thing you could have done, gave his swollen head a nice pop. Don't know how much more talk I could stand from his over inflated head, cause, see, nobody can talk to _me_ about girls-"

"And Gryffindor scores! 30-0!" Charlie White, although a Ravenclaw, announced happily. It was always a happy thought for Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to see Slytherin defeated. Lily, Sirius, and Remus, along with most of the stands, stood up and cheered. In the midst of the cheering, James did a nose dive and shot back up, holding the glittering snitch. The cheering turned into complete craziness, as the three made their way down to the field. James stood waiting, beaming and looking quite proud of himself. Sirius slapped him on the shoulder, Remus congratulated him, Lily smiled delightfully. As masses of female fans fought their way onto the field, James grabbed Lily and the four of them made their way to the common room to celebrate. 

*~*~*

_Quite a match, __James__ made the winning catch, as he always did. Wasn't really possible for anyone else to secure the win except __James__, being the seeker and all.__ Think that's probably what he liked best about the game, always got the winning cheers. Quidditch matches were rather fun that year, sitting with Moony and Padfoot, and the parties after them, geesh, I'm surprised we weren't all expelled._

*~*~*

Sirius flung open the portrait, and returned to the Gryffindor party with 6 bottles of Firewhiskey in his arms. Lily gasped.

"Sirius! Don't tell me you snuck off of grounds to get that! We're not even allowed to _have_ that-"

"Evans." Sirius said, smiling and shoving her a bottle. "You aren't gonna be a git and ruin the party with your little Prefect badge, are you?" Lily sighed, uncorked the bottle, and took a long sip. Sirius grinned. "Good. Now everyone," Sirius said, increasing the volume of his voice. "I'd like to make a toast. To Gryffindor's wonderful captain and seeker, and world's most arrogant prat! Mr. James Potter!" Everyone, including James, was roaring with laughter as the bottles of Firewhiskey circulated through the crowd. 

*~*~*

_I really was changing. I don't know if that was necessarily a good or a bad thing, but I don't really think it mattered. I was still responsible; I still worked hard in school, I just, I don't know, it had been so many years of being __Lily__Evans__, the girl who is perfect. I had felt like I was dying from the inside out. I felt trapped, and being around the boys let me free myself. I still got mad at them, it wasn't right for them to tease and torture younger students. Severus Snape; they really could have changed that man's future, I believe. Merlin, I wish it could have been different, he had hardly any friends as it was, and __James__ and Sirius made sure he didn't get anymore. He wasn't friendly, called me a nasty little name a few times, but they were still awful to him. Met up with the wrong crowd, __Severus__ did, and I do believe he is working for Vol-the wrong side now. Aside from that, I loved every minute I spent with the boys, doing homework, writing papers, just hanging out. Life was great back then. I decided to stay at Hogwarts during Christmas Holidays; __James__, Sirius, and Remus were staying as well, and I'd rather have spent my time with them than my oh-so-friendly sister. It was the first year I'd stayed, and it made me wish I'd stayed every year before._

*~*~*

"Evans! Wake up!" A hand shook Lily gently, as she rolled over in sleep.

"Huh? What time is-"

"It's jolly St. Nick with your present load!" Sirius Black shouted from the foot of her bed. Lily rubbed her eyes open and saw James standing next to her.

"Merry Christmas!" He said grinning. Remus and Sirius were unloading boxes onto Lily's bed.

"Oh, yeah. You guys too." She said sleepily, trying to remember where she had stashed her stack of presents for the boys. Peter was forced to return home for the break, so she had given him his present, a brand new Wizard Chess set, before he left. "Wait a second," Lily exclaimed. "You three aren't allowed to be in here-"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I've been in the girls' dorms loads of times, and I've never gotten in trouble." Sirius said, still grinning. 

"Oy, too much information!" Lily said, stretching her arms and looking at the pile of presents. "Wow, you guys, this is too much-"

"Nah, we haven't gotten you anything for 5 years!" Remus grinned. Lily hopped out of bed and went to the closet. She noticed a small stack of gifts by the window, delivered by owl, from a few of her other friends and her family.

"Oh, like I've given you anything! You guys are too sweet, I really feel bad, I didn't get you that much. But, uh," She picked up the small parcels and handed them out. "Here, if you don't like them, they're all from Hogsmede-"

"Oh this is great! I've been out of some of these things for ages!" Sirius said after he had quickly torn the paper off of a box of assorted prank items and a bar of Honeyduke's finest chocolate. "Never thought I'd see the day when Evans was actually giving me this stuff…"

"Don't make me regret it!" Lily joked. "I tried to think of something else, but it was the only gift that made me think Sirius." Remus opened his next. It was a collection of a few muggle books, as Lily knew Remus' passion for reading.

"Aw, thanks Lily!" Remus said examining the books. James unopened a large box containing F.L. Ibetar's broomstick maintenance kit.

"I know you love that Nimbus 700 of yours, so I thought-"

"This is great, Lily! Absolutely great! Open ours now, eh?" Sirius shoved the sack into her arms as she sat back down on the bed. Remus had given her a book called "The Common Werewolf," and a large bag of sugar quills. Lily giggled and gave Remus a hug. Sirius' gift was a new wand case, which looked expensive, monogrammed "L. Evans" next to a moon and star symbol. He certainly was a charmer, as Lily loved the gift. 

"Well do I at least get a kiss for that?" Sirius asked, looking at her like a sad puppy dog. Lily laughed, leaned over, and kissed his cheek.

"Hey!" James shouted, "There's still my present!" Lily giggled as Sirius shot him a look. She picked up the last little box sitting on the bed. It was very light and wrapped in paper that changed from a deep red to green every couple of seconds. Lily carefully removed the paper, revealing a jewelry box containing a golden necklace.

"Oh, my; James, really, this lovely, but it must have cost-" Lily was beaming as she examined the necklace. It was a small golden lion head, filled in with yellow diamonds and rubies, and was on a long gold chain.

James smiled. "It's been in my family for ages, but seeing as it was passed to me, and I'd die before wearing a _girl's_ necklace," he chuckled to himself. "Well, er, do you like it?"

"Like it?" She gasped. "I love it!"

"I knew you would!" James said, helping Lily put it on as Sirius snickered. "Shut up, you great prat!" James said, laughing uncontrollably as he and Sirius began to smack each other with pillows. Lily and Remus stood, laughing and watching the two best friends fight with pillows, feathers flying everywhere.

*~*~*

_I got the nicest presents from the boys; they always knew how to put me in the best mood. __James__' present was amazing. I'm still wearing it. It's absolutely stunning, don't you think? Along with the necklace in the jewelry box, there was a note, saying to meet in the common room at __11:45__ for the rest of the present. I wasn't sure who knew about this part, so I kept it to myself all day. The Christmas dinner was amazing, even better than what I was used to at home. We spent most of the day talking about our frustrating families and O.W.L. results. Sirius suggested a snowball fight, so by the time we went back in for supper, we were completely bungled and dripping wet. It was amazing though, and I almost forgot about my late night plans. I did, however, remember instantly, and nervously, when we returned to the common room after supper._

*~*~*

"And then," Sirius said carelessly, taking a swig of butterbeer as they walked through the portrait hole, "right as he was about to stand up, _whoops, Snivellus! Did I drop that on you? I'm so sorry!_ Turned his face blue and wrinkly, it did, hospital week for 4 days. Of course, I didn't get in trouble, accident, or so I said."

"SIRIUS! That's horrible!" Lily said, although laughing.

"Who's up for a game of Exploding Snap?" James said as they all sat on one of the sofas.

"Can't, mate, Mar and I are going on a walk in, oh, about 10 minutes. Better go get, er, ready I suppose," Remus said, slightly pink.

"MOONY! What about tonight? I thought we were taking Evans to-"

*~*~*

_I don't know why I had been nervous about it. I guess I just figured it was going to be __James__ and I, alone. Although I wasn't completely wrong…_

*~*~*

"Dammit!" Remus exclaimed. It was the first time Lily had heard him swear, and it caused the sides of her mouth to twitch. 

"No problem, Moony. You take care of Mar tonight, Sirius is coming though, eh mate?"

"Coming where? I never said I'd go anywhere with _you, Potter. I'm a bit busy with a certain Ravenclaw tonight and seeing as how she's the only girl left in her dorm-" Lily giggled and shook her head._

"First of all," She started, "like I said before, too much information! I do not need to know _those _kind of details! Secondly," She snickered, "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart!" James and Remus joined in with her laughter, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

*~*~*

_…it did end up just being me and __James_, but it wasn't intentional.__

*~*~*

Remus and Sirius had both left, out on dates. It was just Lily and James in the common room, sitting in uncomfortable silence. "So, Evans, you still want to go?" James said, watching Lily pick at the skin around her thumbnail.

"Hm? Sure, I, that sounds fine, but, uh, where is it that we're going?" She looked up, her green eyes sparkling magnificently. James smiled toothily, his hazel eyes glinting mischievously and his right hand running through his hair. 

"Oh, you'll see, won't ya? Hang on; I have to go grab something, just a moment." He took off towards the boys' dormitory. Lily used the isolation to finally examine the necklace she was wearing. It was a wonderful replacement for her broken silver locket, and it reminded her of the Gryffindor lion. It was absolutely amazing, it shimmered in every light. "Alright Evans," Lily quickly released the necklace and stood up. "You ready for an adventure?"

*~*~*

_I couldn't believe it; he had explained their map before, but I had never seen it in action. Of course __James_ was a master at the layout of the school; he had just brought the map along for my enjoyment. We snuck to the statue of an old witch; ___Potter__ whispered "Dissendium" and it moved, revealing a secret passage way. The passage was long and dark, and even "Lumos" didn't light it properly. We walked so far it seemed, I was giggling and holding onto _James__' arm the whole way; he had taken the map from me and I still didn't know where we'd end up. And then it came to an end, ___James_ whispered "Nox," so I couldn't see where we were, and we walked into somewhere I would have never imagined.__

*~*~*

"Potter, where have you taken me?!" Lily said as she looked around the dark room. 

"Lumos!" James shouted, unveiling stacked boxes on all four sides of the small room. The boxes were all stamped Honeyduke's, but there was no way…

"Merlin, James, are we in Honeyduke's?!" Lily exclaimed, smiling.

"Right you are, Evans. Take whatever you want," he set a few galleons in a jar, "we're all paid up for as much as you can eat!" He smiled and grabbed a chocolate bar, breaking it in two and handing Lily half. "Ifs too bafd Sirius houtdn't come," he said, his mouth full of chocolate. "He fills his pockets and supplies us for ages."

"Hm, yeah, too bad." Lily said, noticing how, behind the thick circular glasses, James really did have stunning brown eyes. James noticed she was staring, and smiled seductively at her. 

"Evans, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing…" She said quietly, feeling her checks glow.

"Nothing? Really?" James walked closer. "Because it looked like, well, it looked like you were staring at _me_."

"Oh, no, just-" Lily had been trying to think of a valid defense when she felt James' lips press against hers. It wasn't as she expected, it felt much nicer. It made her feel warm from the inside out. She shut her eyes just as James pulled away.

"Sorry, I don't know why, Evans, I'm so sorry," He said, looking at his feet. Lily put her arms around his neck, he had done nothing wrong, and in fact it had been one of the best moments of her life. She leaned in closer, so their lips were once again touching. It wasn't a very intense kiss, yet simple and loving. It was perfect. They separated after what seemed like an eternity. 

"Mmm," Lily said, smiling. "Your lips are sweet, James.  Sweet like Honeyduke's."

*~*~*

_The Honeyduke's storage cellar.__ Dark, damp, and full of chocolate, it wasn't where I'd expected to end up, but it was great. And somehow, in that dark room, alone with __James__, I realized that he had changed, too._

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**A/N: More reviews! Thank you all so much. Reviews really inspire me to write more, so when you review, you make me work. **

**One more thing…The reason I made James seeker was because of his obsession with the snitch in OotP (Snape's Worst Memory). This confused me, because at a Scholastic conference, J.K. said James was a chaser. Plus, JK supervises the movies, and I believe the trophy said seeker…So maybe she changed her mind…? I guess a chaser _might_ have James' interest in the snitch, but it made more sense for him to be a seeker to me. That's it!**

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cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com


	6. Freckled Flower

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Freckled Flower 

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement was intended! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, I'm just playing around in my own messed up mind!

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_That change in him didn't last very long, though. Once we were back in the company of Sirius and Remus, he was back to being Potter, the goofy boy who could beat anyone at anything. Or so he said. I was too daft to believe that what I felt with him, alone, was anything that I could expect to be there when the others were around. It was alright though, __James__ and I stayed good friends, nothing more, but it was fine. I couldn't even remember how I was like the previous years at Hogwarts; I couldn't imagine life without the boys. I attended every Quidditch game with Remus, Sirius, and __Peter__; laughing wildly every time _James___ tried to impress his fans with new moves, though he never failed to catch the snitch, and once again Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup. Class finals were nothing compared to the O.W.L.'s taken 5th year, and before I could imagine, the term had come to an end. Although I didn't want to go home, the time separating when the year had started and the train ride home was beyond measurement. Sirius seemed to be dreading getting off the train, going back home, as much as I did, so we promised to keep in touch via owl. I gave _Peter___ and Remus hugs, of course, told them I'd see them next year. I was expecting Remus to be made Head Boy, and I had heard a lot of talk about my name as Head Girl. Peter and Remus' families hauled them off, out of the station, and it was just __James__ and I. Rather awkward, especially with our families around. We both were still trying to pretend that our feelings for each other were of friendship, and not of accidental attraction. Gave him a nice hug, and he promised to write. And that was it. Year six at Hogwarts was over, and I returned home to hell. The first month of my summer was decent, a bit boring, but manageable. My mum and dad decided to leave my dear sister in charge while they went to __Paris__ for a month. Horrible, simply awful. I was locked in my room the entire time, except when a cook or housekeeper was needed. I couldn't contact my parents, and I knew Pet would kill me if I tattled on her anyways. What infuriated me even more was that the fact that I was receiving no mail, not one letter, from the boys. I really wished that I owned an owl; I would have sent it after those boys. Then one day, my parents were still out of town, a knock disturbed my cleaning, and __James__Potter__ and Sirius Black were at my door._

*~*~*

"Just a minute!" Lily Evans yelled huffily, setting the mop against the kitchen wall. It had been ages since she had set foot out of the house, and answering the door would at least be a nice break from three straight hours of mopping. "Hullo?" She said, swinging the heavy wooden door open, revealing two familiar faces. Lily gasped.

"Nice to see you too, Evans!" James said, leaning against the doorframe and grinning. Sirius took Lily in a tight embrace. 

"What are you two doing here?!" Lily said, pulling away and walking back into the doorway, hoping that Petunia was still safely in her room. Seeing two of Lily's friends, more of "her kind," would cause Petunia Evans' vile temper to come out. 

"Well," Sirius said, looking at James, "we were a bit bored, and James' dad owns a muggle car," he motioned to the automobile sitting in the driveway, "taught us how to drive, so we thought, why not go visit Evans?!" Lily looked suspiciously at the boys; they hadn't contacted her for almost a month, and now they were at her house, standing at her door, talking about muggle cars. Life could be so strange!

"Lily!" A shrill voice shrieked from the second level of the house. "Who's at the door?"

"Um," Lily glanced nervously at the boys, "Solicitors, Pet, they're selling, er, brooms." Sirius and James looked confused, but had heard stories about one Miss Petunia Evans, 20 years old and still living at home, so they concurrently decided it would be in their best interest not to interfere. "Shh, ok," Lily whispered to the boys, "there's a park just down the street that way, I'll meet you there in a few minutes, just, uh, let me take care of Petunia." Lily smiled and walked back into the house. "I'm sorry, we're just not interested! Thanks anyways!" She said, winking and shutting the door. She heard the car doors slam, the engine rev up, and soon the driveway was once again vacant. "Pet!" She called up the stairs. "We're nearly out of food; I think it would be a good idea for me to take some of the, er, my money and go buy some groceries."

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine, but I want you back here, locked in your room, by 4. _Vernon_ is coming over, and I don't want him thinking our family is your kind of trash." Lily rolled her eyes. She was beginning to wonder if Petunia didn't need another good taste of Zonko's in her dinner that night. Lily took some pounds that her parents had left for food, and walked out of the two-story Tudor she lived in. 

*~*~*

_I shoed them out of the way, hoping Petunia wouldn't notice them before they left. We met up in a few minutes at the park up the street from my house._

*~*~*

Lily slowly plodded up the street, feeling upset and confused. Dumb Petunia. She tried to control everything, pretending her weird little Lily didn't exist. Then there were James and Sirius. Sure she was happy to see them, it earned her a pleasant break from housework, but she was still upset with them. Not one letter had arrived all summer, and one day they just appear, on their own terms, to get a kick out of seeing their "friend." Lily kicked a rock down the street as she approached the park. She'd just be happy when summer ended. As she neared the park, she noticed it was empty except for James and Sirius, who were examining a muggle swing set. She suddenly felt a smile creep across her face. There wasn't really any reason to be mad at them. She greeted them, sitting on one of the swings, kicking off her shoes and running her feet through the warm pebbles as the boys continued to gape and awe at the design of a muggle playground. 

*~*~*

_They did, of course, have very valid reasons for not keeping in touch. I was most surprised to learn that on the second day of the holidays Sirius Black moved into __James_' house. He had such a cruel family, you see; full of dark and evil wizards. He had a younger brother, Regulus, but he was in Slytherin. If I'm not mistaken, Sirius was the only one in his immediate family not to be sorted into the house of ___Salazar__. James and Sirius, who were already the closest of friends, became even more like brothers after that summer. James' parents, who were the nicest of people, adopted Sirius as a second son. Busy getting acquainted in the Potter household, I couldn't blame Sirius, or for that matter __James__, for the lack of post. Both boys anxiously told about the Lupins' trip to __Germany__; an experimental potion was claiming to help with werewolf transitions. Young Peter was somewhere in the south of France, but like myself, did not own an owl. It was great to talk to the boys that afternoon, both had grown in height substantially, and had sun-kissed tanned skin from spending countless afternoons in the Potters' backyard, playing Quidditch and goofing off. My own skin was fair, with an occasional freckle, due not only to my red-headed complexion but also from being trapped inside the house for a continuous time of twenty-some days. I couldn't have been anymore thrilled than when James reminded me that school started in a little over than a week's time. __James__ then asked if I had gotten my Hogwarts letter, I can still remember how his eyes were sparkling. I said that I indeed had not, and I asked if Remus had been made Head Boy. Smiling broadly, he just shrugged. And that was it. It was nearly 4, I had to leave. They decided, with my full approval, that in two days time they'd pick me up and go to Diagon Alley, for some last minute school supply shopping. And that night, even as I was trapped in my room, forced to silence, I couldn't help think about how much fun I was going to have. _

*~*~*

"Honk it!" Sirius said, reaching over to tap the small horn. At the noise of the horn, Sirius and James both erupted in laughter. Muggle objects were so bizarre! Lily came running out of the front door, beaming radiantly.

"Guess." " She said, piling into the car and slamming the door, huffing from running, "What!"

"What?' Sirius and James asked, turning to look at her.

"I just got it!" She was on the verge of tears of happiness. "Oh, I'm so pleased!"

"Well, 'just getting it' explains a lot…" Sirius sniggered; James was still looking contentedly at Lily, as if he knew what the next words of out her bubblegum pink lips were going to be.

"Head Girl!" She exclaimed simply, though still beaming. James' smile turned from a grin to an enormous smile as he turned to look at Sirius.

"Well, well. Congratulations, Ms. Head Girl. Looks like a celebration is in order, mind you I'm saving it for the train." James was still grinning as he backed the car out of the driveway and started for London.

*~*~*

_The same day they came to take me to Diagon Alley I had received an official Hogwarts owl. Head Girl, it said. I was overjoyed. Sirius and James seemed thrilled too, it was nice to know they could be happy for me. It proved our friendship even more. The car ride was simply frightening, though. __James__' driving was comparable to that of a goblin at Gringotts, and that's stated nicely. I quickly realized why wizards don't usually drive. James and Sirius had both passed their Appataration tests, but driving was the only way to avoid muggles and ensure I could get there safely. Ha, ha, ha, yes, I survived his maniacal driving, but just barely. When we got to Diagon Alley, our first stop was at the ice creamery, where __James__ treated us all to an ice cream cone. In order to save time, Sirius decided he would go buy our quills and parchment while _James___ and I headed to Flourish and Blotts to buy our final books for Hogwarts._

*~*~*

"How about this one? _How to Curse Your Sister into a Skink and Your Brother into a Baboon.__ I say, I think I'd rather have a sour sister than a skink running around." James said, flipping through the books in the "New Arrivals" section. _

"Hmm, I don't know. At least I could lock Petunia up that way…" Lily said distractedly. She wasn't really paying attention to the books; she was just happy. Happy at being made Head Girl, happy at being with her friends, happy that Hogwarts was starting up again soon. But most of all, she was just happy to be out.

"Well, the books we need," James panned the list, "should be back here." He led her around the store, piling up books as they walked. The last book, one that Lily needed for Advanced Complex Arithmancy, was is a dark corner, filled with dust. The book was on the highest possible shelf; it was obvious that this level of the course was not taken by many students. James climbed a rickety old ladder up to the top shelf, bringing the book and a cloud of dust down. Lily sneezed, laughing at the grime. 

"Oh how lovely," she said dully, noticing that the book was completely covered in old cobwebs. She felt James' eyes on her, making her checks warm. She looked up, and he was indeed looking her way. "James…" She started, not really knowing what to say. His large hazel eyes were bright in the dark corner, sparkling with desire. 

"Yes, Lily?" He asked throatily. She walked closer.

"James, come here," Lily said seductively. She laughed, tossing her head back, her long red hair bouncing. "Come on, James, we have to go meet Sirius, he'll be worried if we aren't there soon."

"Worried? Sirius?" James said, in an unnaturally high voice, trying to steal the moment back. "Nah, Sirius doesn't worry. Ever."

"Even so, what do you expect to do all day, standing in this dusty old corner?" She rolled her eyes, and started to head for the front.

"Well, I suppose I expected to kiss you." He said simply, but it held a completely honest tone. Lily slowly turned around.

"What?" She said in a quiet, low voice. 

"I said, I suppose I expected to kiss you." He said, repeating precisely what he had said before.

"That's what I thought you said," Lily didn't make eye contact, instead becoming quite smitten with her shoe. As she continued to look at the floor, James came closer. 

"Lily, you can't tell me that you, that you're not interested in me. I see how you look at me." Lily's face was completely scarlet, burning hot. She opened her mouth, but couldn't force a single word out. "Shh, don't say anything." He lifted her chin up, forcing her to make eye contact. "Remember Christmas?" He grinned as Lily bit her lip, he gently took her hands, so soft and delicate compared to his own rough, callused, Quidditch-beaten hands. "Lily, I don't know why you find this so uncomfortable, it really shouldn't be." He paused, looking intently into her eyes. "And I don't know why I didn't say what I'm going to say now to you before. If I could take back all the time between _then_ and _now_, I wish I'd have said this to you right after Honeyduke's. I know we haven't always been friends, hell, I know I've been a complete prat at times, but I _really_ like you." He swept a piece of hair out of her eyes, her hand still enclosed in his. "You are bloody brilliant, did you know that? You're so bloody brilliant and completely gorgeous. I fell for you the first time I saw you, Lily. Since I helped you through the platform, do you remember that?" Lily nodded, shutting her eyes and smiling. "Although that did get me into a rut here, seeing as I haven't had a girlfriend since forth year. But it doesn't matter, Lily. I'd do anything for you; even live my life as a single man." He laughed anxiously. "I never thought we'd end up as friends, being so different, but life has a plan for everything, I suppose." Lily was gazing back at James now, realizing that even though he was usually a joker, he was in no way kidding about what he was saying. James grinned back. "Lily, would you want to be my girlfriend?" Lily bit her lip. She tried telling herself it wasn't a big deal; it wasn't like he was proposing to get married! But it was a big deal. In her 17 years of life, she had never had a boyfriend; the closest she had come was James' solitary kiss. She could hear her heart beating in her inner ear, she was so nervous about something that was entirely what she wanted. She smiled inwardly, remembering the exact sweet taste of his lips.

*~*~*

_We walked around, until we were in the dustiest and dirtiest section of the store, where all the Advanced Divination and Arithmancy books are. Spider-webs hung from the ceiling, it was downright repulsive. And in this dark corner, James__ broke into this long speech, and I was just beside myself. I had never seen him this serious, and I don't mean like Sirius. He was staid in talk and said the nicest of things. Furthermore, he asked me to be his girlfriend. It was finally all out in the open. After 6 months of confined emotions, everything was out in the open. I think it's pretty obvious that I said "yes" to James' question. _

*~*~*

"Of course." Lily said, breaking out into a wide, toothy grin and wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. James laughed, pulling away slightly to look into her one-of-a-kind green eyes. She wrinkled her nose in delight, pulling James into a kiss. Though the dusty corner was anything but romantic, the kiss was quite the opposite. Lily allowed James full entrance into her mouth, making the kiss an overwhelming delight for both of them. Lily ran her fingers through James' messy, fluffy ebony hair and his hands smoothed her silky red tresses. Lily could think of nothing besides James, her head now engulfed with thoughts of him. 

"Well, well. Finally cut the tension, did we?" Sirius said, leaning against a shelf, a sack of supplies and three butterbeers in hand. James and Lily quickly broke off, separating and getting themselves together as quickly as possible. They were both flushed crimson, their checks glowing as Sirius smirked. "I was bored outside," Sirius said, shoving a bag of supplies and a butterbeer into each of their hands as they walked to the cashier, "so I decided to see what you two were up to. Can't say I was surprised to see you together, but I didn't expect to see you snogging in the Arithmancy section!" Sirius smiled deviously and James gave him a nice shove and then wrapped his arm around Lily. Lily squeezed her eyes tight and smiled. 

*~*~*

_James__ and I were together. It was just another factor of my anxiousness to return to Hogwarts. Time moves so quickly when you least want it to, and so incredibly slow when you are awaiting something. The entire last week I was home I filled my head with anticipation for Hogwarts, organizing and re-organizing my trunk countless times. However, my mum and dad had returned, so life that last week was a step up from pure hell._

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**A/N: Big thanks to those who have reviewed! You guys are amazing! *Hugs* Sorry this update took so long. Please continue to let me know what you think! Every comment helps!**

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	7. Head Boyfriend

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Head Boyfriend 

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** Don't sue me! This is for entertainment purposes only, I'm not JK Rowling!!! (isn't that a surprise?!)

**A/N: **This is basically a short, pointless chapter. But I had to get some things out there in prep for the next chapter…

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_My entire family escorted me to the station that year, being that it was my final journey from the elusive platform 9 3/4. Though she acted completely appalled by the obvious presence of wizards, my "filth," in the station, I think Petunia was dying to get a peak of the Express. I was planning to stay at Hogwarts again for the holidays; I told them it was a Head Girl's duty. They were so proud of my appointment as Head Girl, and their approval of my schoolwork meant so much to me. I was so excited to reunite with Peter and Remus, who I hadn't seen for months, eager to get a hug from Sirius, and most of all, I was anxious to see James and his messy black hair. The train station was its normal busy self, and it was almost depressing to see the young first years there, beginning, ready to live the best years of their lives yet. Anxious mother's primped their children, trying to get them off on the right foot. I boarded the train, quickly attaching my new badge to my muggle shirt, and walking through the compartments. _

*~*~*

Lily Evans held her head high, walking casually yet quickly through the compartments, making her way up to were the prefects were stationed. 

"Oh, and the Head Boy this year, isn't he completely adorable?" Lily heard a few third years talking and smiled to herself. Severus Snape certainly wasn't adorable, indeed quite the opposite, and Richard Harleton, the Ravenclaw Prefect, had the face only a mother could love. That left Remus and Amos, the Hufflepuff Prefect. Lily had passed Amos earlier, still wearing a prefect's badge. Remembering the sight made her grin. She sped up excitedly, ready to congratulate Remus. It wasn't likely that anyone except a prefect would be made Head Boy, and she was sure Remus could do the job well. It would be so much fun working with a friend, let alone someone as nice as Remus. The compartment the boys usually rode in was vacant, almost lonely looking. Lily wondered where James and the others could be, but didn't have time to sit and think. She was Head Girl; she had to be in the prefects section on time! Nearing the open door of the reserved compartment, Lily could hear shrieks of laughter. As Lily walked into the compartment, a pile of gold and ruby confetti fell onto her. She laughed, wiping her eyes to look around as she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. 

"Oh!" She exclaimed, looking to her left and seeing James' smiling face. "James!" She exclaimed, grinning back at him. Her smile suddenly turned to a frown, remembering the compartment rule. She was Head Girl, it was her duty to enforce the rules, not break them. She gently pulled him off of herself, sighing with disappointment of what she knew she had to say. "James, I'm so sorry, but you're really not allowed to be in here…" She said, looking around the room for Remus, who appeared to be late once again.

"Oh, my ickle Lily doesn't want me here?" He teasingly pouted. "Well then, I'll just be leaving." He said, shrugging and nearing the door. "`Cept," He started softly, yet making sure Lily heard every word, "Don't know when they changed the rules, always thought it was advised the Head Boy sit with the prefects-"

"Yes, that's the rule," Lily said, still wondering where Lupin was. "James, you haven't seen Remus, have you? He needs to lecture the Prefects soon; he really can't afford to be behind schedule this year-"

"Moony?!" James turned around, grinning. "You thought _Moony_ was Head Boy?!"

"Well, yes, isn't he?" Lily looked confused. What the _hell_ was James finding to be so funny about Remus' tardiness?

"You thought wrong, my dear. I'd thought you'd picked up on it, but no, unfortunately Remus was not made Head Boy." He said, walking towards her. Lily stood motionless, looking puzzled. James pulled open his cloak to reveal a muggle shirt, complete with an inscribed pin reading, "Head Boy." Lily gasped, her mouth dropping open.

"James!" She said, flinging her arms around him.

"So how about that celebration, eh?!" He whispered into her ear, his grasp around her tightening.

*~*~*

_When I entered the compartment, I was shocked to learn __James was Head Boy. Very pleased, but shocked. We had to explain all of the responsibilities of being a Prefect to the new 5th years. I found it reasonably funny that Dumbledore chose _James___ to explain responsibility to younger students, seeing as the entire school population knew __James__ as a barmy around pranks. The train ride went smoothly, _James___ and I taking full advantage of our private compartment and all of its amenities once we were done with the lectures._

*~*~*

"-Any questions? Perfect! Prefects, you can now go back and sit with your mates." Lily said, smiling formally, the crowd of prefects disjoining in front of her. She stacked the pile of parchment that she had gone over with the students in her bag, sighing as she felt two familiar hands begin to rub her shoulders from behind. "James." She purred. It felt so good to be close to him again; just being near him made her heart jump. It was a typical teenage romance, clichéd and all.

"Come on, Lily; let's go check out _our_ compartment." He took her hand and led her to the next compartment, marked with the words, "Head Boy and Girl Only." It was large and held very nice accommodations, including a full assortment of snacks and sweets. Lily sat on the exceptionally comfortable sofa, James following suit. He playfully pecked at her lips. Lily just relaxed and enjoyed being in his presence; it was nice to be going back **home**.

*~*~*

_There were sweets galore and the furniture was very comfortable. __James__ and I weren't alone long before the boys found our room. It was fantastic to be able to be with everyone again._

*~*~*

"James!" She laughed as he kissed her neck teasingly. She ruffled one hand through his hair; the other caressed his cheek, accidentally knocking his glasses off. He bent over to pick them up as the door swung open. Sirius, Remus, and Peter stood in the doorway, looking smug. 

"I see the Head Boy and Girl are all ready getting into trouble." Sirius said, walking in and helping himself to a pumpkin pasty. "Although I know you wanted to bonk a bit before school starts, mate, we just don't see how it's fair that you two get this room to all to your pretty little selves. Speaking of, Evans, you are looking quite nice today." Sirius winked, causing Lily to chuckle. "Anyways, we thought we'd join you in this little suite you've got her. Not on the snogging, mind you, just the food." Everybody laughed, even Lily, although her cheeks were most certainly flushed red.

"Eh, hem," James cleared his throat, "boys, I'm _so_ sorry, but you're really not allowed to be in here-" James said in a feminine voice, a perfect imitation of Lily. Lily gasped looked at James in mock umbrage, giving him a good-humored slap on the arm.

*~*~*

_The boys told me all of their summer adventures, and misadventures, while we snacked on the sweets provided in the compartment. The train ride seemed much shorter that year, and before long we were had arrived, once again, at Hogwarts. James and I were asked to supervise the unloading of the train, but it was no matter to the other boys. Remus went off with the other Prefects, although being given a lot of tosh for being the 7th year Gryffindor Prefect yet not Head Boy. Outrageous, if you ask me. They were all Prefects, too, and __James had been picked above them as well. Severus Snape had pure hatred for James, even more so than the others, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was him who lashed out in jealousy towards James on poor Remus. Remus got pretty hacked off about the ordeal, but I know he was nothing but happy that James was Head Boy. Sirius and Peter ran off, they had some "business" to attend to; no doubt another prank up their sleeves. Or better put, up Sirius' sleeve. Peter usually just went along for the show, tagging along and volunteering for the dirty work. Oh well. Last chance for pulling a trick on the first day, guess that's how I figured. The students were sorted and seated before no time, and it was time for Dumbledore's surprise announcement. Shocking, really. A dance was to be held at Hogwarts. It sounded completely absurd; it was very rare for a dance to take place at Hogwarts, outside of the traditional Yule Ball at Triwizard Tournaments. Not that those have even taken place for very many years. The dance was being held on Halloween night, for all students grade 3 and up to enjoy. There was, of course, going to be the usual feast for those that were not of age or did not wish to attend the dance. Dress robes, which could be purchased through O.W.L. order or in Hogsmede, were to be worn. We were to bring dates if we desired, which was one aspect I wasn't worried about. James and I were pretty much expected to go with each other anyway, being Head Boy and Girl, so our relationship would only add more to the auxiliary of attendance with each other. Anyway, students quickly made their way to the houses, first years looking very lost and confused in the large castle. James and I went on rounds that evening, making sure first year students, and any trouble makers, were safely in their dorms._

*~*~*

"-I think it will be fun, James! I imagine you'll look very nice in dress robes!" Lily gripped James' hand tighter, as they prowled the empty corridors. Lily was quite sure that when Dumbledore told them to patrol, he hadn't meant together. However, he hadn't downright stated to go alone, so James and Lily were contentedly walking the empty halls together. 

"Hm, yes, I do suppose I will." James said, taking his free hand and running it through his hair.

"Hah! I wouldn't doubt if you were serious about that!" Lily smiled. He still had his arrogance, but she knew he was just being silly. 

"Well, at least you know you'll be with the best looking guy at the ball!" He teased. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so you think I'll be attending the dance with Sirius, eh?" Lily fluttered her eyelashes, mischievously. "I don't believe we've discussed _that _part of the dance, James, and truth be told I haven't really decided who I'm going with. Maybe I'll want to accompany my dear friend Remus." James laughed sadistically. 

"You think Remus would turn Marian in for you?" Lily pretended to scowl, only half successful as she was still laughing. "I'm afraid you'll just have to settle for Quidditch captain, Head Boy, and boyfriend of Lily Evans, a Mr. James Potter."

"Oh will I? I do suppose I could settle for that." Lily nuzzled her head against James' shoulder. There was no one she'd rather be going with than her James. 

*~*~*

_It was more fun than anyone could imagine, walking around, just talking. We had to scold a few students, out of bed with dungbombs and such, but overall it was a perfectly calm night. We returned to our new dorms, which were large and wonderful, back in the Gryffindor tower, separate from the rest, in their own hall. The Prefects, including Remus, had the, eh, opportunity to deal with the few crying first years in the common room. I wasn't one bit jealous; in fact, it made me even happier that I was no longer bearing the name of Prefect. I was very glad I was Head Girl, and that __James was Head Boy. My Head Boy._

*~*~*

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, more will be up SOON! Keep reading and reviewing! Any bit of advice or suggestion would be great!**

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	8. The Halloween Ball

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: The Halloween Ball

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** Wow, as if you need to hear me reiterate this _yet again…I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! I am a measly Fan Fiction writer! JK Rowling owns (almost) everything! _

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_The autumn slowly drifted by. Surprisingly, my position as Head Girl had caused my popularity with the girls in the school to surge; I found myself surrounded with more friends than I had ever had. Truest and most entertaining, the boys stayed at the center of my life. __James__ and I grew closer throughout the school year's beginning. We were still young, immature, but we managed our personal and professional, professional being Head duties and school work, relationships reasonably well. Rounds were always fun, we made sure that we were always together. My relationship with the other boys, much to my delight, only grew stronger. I finally got my Apparition certified one weekend at Hogsmede, very happy about that. Life was nice, peaceful, calm, minus the loads of 7th year N.E.W.T. preparation. Towards the beginning of the year, we had heard stories of strange muggle deaths, a mysterious wizard involvement. Nobody thought too much about it, at least nobody under the age of 20 or so. We were too careless back then, life seemed so, so perfect. Near the end of October, all that were planning to attend the dance bought dress robes. I went shopping with some of my girlfriends; I wanted _James___ to be surprised when I showed up in my forest green robes. One of the girls, I forget who, made me purchase them in that particular color, matched my eyes, she said. In any case, the dance approached before long, leaving all those attending in utter excitement. The afternoon of Halloween ended up being the last before it began, or at least before we were informed. We were all so happy, so normal then. It was when the afternoon sun still shown warm on Hogwarts; before our world turned itself upside down. _

*~*~*

"Lily!" A girl squealed, looking up from a book of beauty spells, "You look absolutely darling!" Lily grinned. While the other girls had spent the afternoon looking up spells to make themselves more attractive, she had concentrated on looking as nice as possible, naturally. Her auburn hair was silken from a hair brush rather than a wand, her teeth gleaming from brushing, not cursing. She couldn't wait to see James. She wondered what color robes he would be wearing, how his messy black hair would look accompanied by dress robes. The entire day, Lily had felt a knot grow in her stomach; she knew she looked as pretty as she ever had, but stupid, pestering thoughts kept running through her mind. She was nervous that James would be displeased at her taste in robes, green being the Slytherin color and all. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to dance right, due to the fact that this was her first dance. Ever. She had no time to linger on thoughts of worriment. She took a deep breath, joining the others in walking out of the girls' dorm into the common room, where the boys were waiting.

*~*~*

_I can still remember fretting about the most meaningless things that day. It took us the entire afternoon to get ready for that dance, all the Gryffindor girls got together in the 7th year dormitory to primp themselves. We walked downstairs, into the common room, and seeing __James__ cleared my mind of any worry. He looked fantastic. _

*~*~*

Lily was surrounded by fits of giggles; it seemed the stairway had unofficially become the meeting spot of Gryffindor couples. She pushed her way through, making her way over to James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter; who were, no doubt trying to look suave, standing near the fireplace, waiting for their dates. "James!" Lily called, making her way over. A few of the younger years laughed. The Head Boy and Head Girl were so obviously a couple, one could only imagine the snide remarks other students had come up with. James looked up after hearing his name, looking at, what he decided, was the most beautiful girl in the school. He was dressed in dark smoky gray robes, which looked surprisingly astonishing against Lily's green.

"Lily! You look wonderful!" James said, eyeing her dark green robes. Sirius grinned.

"Lily, looking smashing, of course." He bowed like a gentleman, receiving a rude look from his date, a stunning Gryffindor 6th year. "Come on, love." He took the 6th year's hand. "We need to make an appearance at the dance, and _then_ we can get to know each other a bit, how's that sound?" He grinned cheekily, winking at James. The girl's blue eyes brightened as Sirius escorted her to the dungeon. 

"Merlin, how does he pull off such tacky lines without a smack?" Remus sighed, rolling his eyes, his mouth curling into a smile as his girlfriend Marian wrapped her arms around his neck. She was dressed in pale pink designer robes, ruffled and fancy, which completely clashed with Remus' tattered and used ginger ensemble. Peter was going with a shy 5th year Hufflepuff, who he'd be meeting at the dungeon, although he wasn't quite sure of her name. James had only asked her for Peter a week earlier, when he learned that a member of their circle was going stag. The group of five made their way out of the common room, Lily and Marian excitedly discussing the musical guest, Waldo Worloche and the Warlocks, James and Remus smiling at their dates, and Peter trailing behind, alone. He had never really been completely accepted into the group, and it pained him that Lily's friendship had been received so easily. It was probably because he was an annoying wannabe, but that's beside the point. 

*~*~*

_The dungeon was brilliantly decorated, better than any Halloween feast I had attended. Giant pumpkins, thanks to Hagrid, were in abundance, as were huge cobwebs and everything else remotely Halloween associated. The band was playing, and students were already embraced, dancing on the floor. We met up with Sirius and his date, who had just stepped off the dance floor. Sirius, being the ultimate ladies man in our day at Hogwarts, was quite a dancer. Remus and his date left to give the dance floor a chance, and __Peter and his date were trying some of the snacks. It seemed everyone was in attendance, even the foul Severus Snape had a date. Annette, the Ravenclaw Prefect, was eyeing James and myself jealously. Her date, Richard, a fellow Prefect, was just a step up from Snape. The usually coldness of the dungeon had been replaced with the heat of countless students crammed into a small space, so I went to go get four bottles of butterbeer. When I returned, James was gone._

*~*~*

"Thanks, Lily!" The blue eyed brunette smiled politely up at Lily, taking a swig from her bottle.

"Here, Sirius," She handed him a bottle, looking around in puzzlement. "What happened to James?" She asked, slightly hurt at the fact that he had disappeared on her.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius said, between swigs of butterbeer, "Dumbledore needed to talk to him. Head Boy stuff or something." Sirius shrugged.

"Well, I'm Head Girl," Lily said, her voice dense with a mixture of pride and confusion. "Does he need me too?"

"Oooh! Sirius!" The 6th year girl called, interrupting Lily's train of thought. "I'll be right back," she kissed his cheek, "I just want to talk to my friends for a minute." 

"Ok, love, but don't be gone too long!" He blew the girl a kiss. Lily shook her head, he could be nauseating. He looked back at Lily, smirking. "To answer your question, Ms. Evans, no. James asked, but Dumbledore said that the matter could be dealt with just him at the moment." Lily looked slightly put off; it seemed quite untrue that the Head Boy was capable of dealing with anything better than the Head Girl, especially her. The band was in between numbers, and the orchestra began to play a spooky instrumental tune. Sirius, seeing the annoyance in Lily's eyes, grabbed her hand. "Care to dance?" He asked, seeing his date tied up with the gossip queens of the 6th year. Lily raised an eyebrow. Wasn't her first dance at the ball supposed to be reserved for her date? She sighed; James was too busy with "important matters" to come dance with her. Lily bit her lip, remembering that Sirius was one of her best friends, and that if James was busy, she should occupy herself as well. 

"I'd love to." She said, grinning widely. They made their way onto the floor; Sirius wrapped his arms around her. She quickly caught onto his lead, although the song was quite different from what she imagined, what she had seen, in muggle movies. It started very slow, and then the speed gained until they were practically running around the floor, and then it surprisingly was slow again. Sirius was a great dancer and had facial expressions that matched his every move. Lily laughed to herself realizing how hard it would be for James to live up to Sirius' dance. The atmosphere of the dungeon added to the Halloween theme, and as the song ended, Lily felt chills run up her spine. As she tried to shrug them off, she realized that it was nothing other than a hand, rubbing against her dress robe. She quickly shot around, only to find herself face to face with James, while hearing Sirius snigger in laughter.

"Lily." James said, his face looking pale and lifeless.

"James!" Lily exclaimed, noticing his cheerless face and dragging him off the floor, into a quiet corner. Sirius tried to follow, but was cut off when his date approached him, leaving the Head Boy and Girl alone. "What's wrong? You look absolutely dreadful, James!" She noticed his grey eyes were sunken in a bit, he looked horribly distraught.

"Nothing." He said shallowly. Lily studied his face.

"Nothing my arse." She said, causing his eyes to widen. "James, please tell me." Her voice had turned softer, "I know Dumbledore had to talk to you about something important, and he chose you to tell because you're Head Boy. James, you can tell me, whatever it was he said, I can handle it as well as you can." She looked deep into his eyes, finding only hidden pain.

"Lily, please." He pleaded, taking her hand. "I'm going to tell you it all, everything, I am. Dumbledore wants me to, and I want to." He sighed. "But not tonight. Everything here, it's all set up for, for everyone in the school," he paused, "to have fun." He smiled a large fake grin, "So how about a dance?" Lily was speechless; she had never seen James upset, let alone dejected. She knew he would tell her, she knew he had his reasons for forging happiness just then, so she too plastered on a fake smile, following him back to the dance floor.

*~*~*

_Sirius and I anxiously awaited his return. Head Boy business was never a good term, and when James came back, he looked nothing less than awful. We tried to enjoy the rest of that night, we really did. But seeing __James__ distraught was so odd, it made me feel horrible. We danced a little, both of us pretending to be in high spirit, especially when others were near. The dance ended late, and instead of an explanation from _James___, he only left me alone, in the common room, while he left for the owlery. I retreated to my room that night on my own; confused, worried, and a bit scared over what I knew __James__ was hiding. _

*~*~*

**A/N: Still kind of short and shallow, but I'm building towards next chapters. Anyhow, I'd love to know what you all are thinking about my story, so please don't hesitate to review! Nice or harsh, I appreciate all!**

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	9. Reign of Fear

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Reign of Fear

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** Blah, blah, I don't own anything in here, except my sorry excuse for a plot. 

**A/N!: I'm putting this up quick, as not to leave you hanging in the middle of the nothing I've created. **Honestly, every suggestion, criticism, and comment is taken to heart, and they really help me.** Thanks!**

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_Muggles had been slaughtered, killed, for no reason whatsoever. Just for being muggles, truly unbelievable. Headmaster Dumbledore had told __James__ during the dance. Wizards were turning over, evil was uprising. Most everyone was in shock. Especially __James_' family.___ His aunt and uncle, both wizards from the purest blood families, had both been killed in this new revolution of evil. Not that purebloods were the target for these new attacks, no, not at all. Muggles and muggle born wizards seemed to be the basis for the attacks, and Mr. and Mrs. Grant, James' relatives, had been the only wizards killed yet. Although nobody was quite sure why they had been killed, Av--an unforgivable curse had been used, and most assumed it was because they would not change their ways. Most purebloods have an air of superiority over others, but __James_ made ___Kenneth__ and _Aladora___Grant__ out to be quite the opposite. They were none other than average wizards, middle-aged, although __Kenneth_ was employed by the ministry. They were very friendly to muggles. If you ask me, Voldemort, the name of the wizard involved with these deaths, wanted into the ministry with ___Mr.__Grant__, for the ministry holds many mysteries. Dumbledore had approached James at the ball to let him know of his family matters, but he also led him into the other stories as well. You see, The Daily Prophet, our newspaper, refused to publish any of these muggle deaths as being wizard related, there was no proof, they claimed. But the information of the _Grant___ deaths, it seemed like they would have to shine some light onto the issue for other wizards. I was very confused. It was shocking, you know, to see this perfect world, this world that made me so happy, crumble. James visited his family, took a leave from school for a week. When he came back, we were in the position to explain to the students what was going on. Dumbledore, of course, prompted the other students on the situation, and it seemed matters were only getting worse. More and more deaths were occurring, it was all so fast, so unexpected. I remember one evening, late in November, after assuring a bunch of 2nd year students that Hogwarts was completely safe, I ran down to the lake and wept. There I was, in charge of keeping the younger students happy and optimistic, and I couldn't even swallow the news of another death. James, being my boyfriend and fellow Head Student, came down to comfort me._

*~*~*

Lily Evans was sitting near the lake, slouched over beside a large willow tree. Her eyes were pink and puffy from crying. The icy cool water of the lake twinkled under the moonlight. James approached her from behind, taking her into his arms without saying a word. She feel limp, he held her hands. Softly, the young woman began to cry, a single tear running down her cheek as the boy ran his fingers through her hair. "You know this isn't over." She said plainly, looking up at James. "You know this is just the beginning."

"I do know that, Lily." His voice was forced, but had a certain soothing tone to it. His hazel eyes were focused on the cold water of the lake, almost frozen. "Another thing I know," He paused. The world was so much colder now. The cheerful Lily, the joyful, outgoing girl was gone. She was just a shadow now, a shell. "You have to stay strong, Lily. The aim of evil is to make men crumble, you have to stay strong. Merlin, you're Head Girl at Hogwarts, you're one of the best wizards here, Lily, if not the best. Everyone looks up to you. I look up to you. Hell, if you show you're scared, what will the first years be like." It wasn't really a question, at least not one to be answered. More clouds rolled across the evening sky, leaving the world as dark as it felt. James hugged Lily for what seemed like a lifetime.

*~*~*

_And he did. I became strong through __James__. I leaned on him, he leaned on me. Our relationship changed, developed, from a physical lust and attraction to something that kept both of us going. I don't know what I would have done without him. James and I were the examples for the younger students, and Merlin knows how awful hundreds of frightened students would be. The attacks varied, sometimes heavy and sometimes fully absent, for the next few months. However, reported attacks were beginning to hit closer to home for some students. Cousins, uncles, even immediate family members had been tortured or killed. Of course, __James__ and I talked frequently about the matter with Dumbledore. He never hesitated on telling us what was going on, he never judged us because we were younger. He knew right out that __James__ and I supported any action against the terror, we would do anything Dumbledore said. Between rounds, keeping the students' moral high, and our N.E.W.T. preparations, __James__ and I had hardly any time to just be alone. But we both knew how the other felt, we both needed each other. Not in a dependency way, it was more of an emotional support, filled in with mutual trust and admiration. I was so proud of _James___ that year; no longer the arrogant prankster but a man. A man who I realized would risk everything, his entire life, for a good reason. A man who I wanted to love forever. _

*~*~*

"--Until next week." Lily said, rubbing her forehead as the prefects left. The bottled up stress of daily life became unbearable sometimes, and this was one of those days. Her head throbbed with pain; she wished she could remember a spell to cure headaches. James walked over, his fingers entwining themselves with hers. She smiled, swinging her bag over her other arm. They chatted about the meeting on their way to the lake; sitting beneath the trees at the edge of the water had become their favorite free time spot. The sun could still be seen, but just by a sliver. The moon hung, half full, in the still starless sky. James and Lily flopped down under the tree, leaning on each other. For a few minutes, they just sat, silent, thinking. James wrapped his arm around Lily, bringing her closer. "Lily, I love you so much." He whispered into her ear, stroking her long red tresses. Lily didn't smile nor frown, instead turning to look back into James' eyes. Her emerald eyes sparkled. 

"I love you too." She said, moving in closer for a kiss.

*~*~*

_We had grown older fast. Our lives became an intertwined group of feelings and emotions, duties and desires. There was nobody I'd rather be with, nobody who could make me feel good like __James__ could. He supported me, he trusted me. And he loved me back._

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cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com


	10. Ice Cold

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Ice Cold

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns the entire world of Harry Potter, I own the books. Don't sue me; I'm not making money from this.

**A/N: **This chapter wasn't planned, but I felt the need for *something* in between last and my next chapter.

__________________

_And that's how it was. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter; they still plotted stupid things, which weren't that bad seeing as they boosted most everyone's mood. Nevertheless they, we, had grown-up so much. Maybe not Sirius, he was still pretty immature, but the other few of us had. It was nice to see __James__ handling the younger students; he was so at ease, so comfortable around them. I knew one day he was going to make a great father. During that year I found myself contemplating what I wanted to do with my life after Hogwarts. There was no doubt in my mind that I was staying here, keeping my identity as a witch. James and I were at the top of every class, I knew I could make any of my dreams come true. I considered working for the ministry, yet all the attacks had sparked my interest in becoming an Auror. They are the wizards in charge of defeating evil, and I found myself longing to join them. __James__ and I discussed our futures frequently and he too wanted to be involved this battle against evil. He still was tied up with Quidditch, and one day I asked __James_ once if he ever wanted to go professional. I'm sure he could have, but so much had changed within the last few months, I don't think anyone was to certain of their future. With __James___ around I was so at ease;, we relaxed so much around each other. We had been dating for only a couple months, friends for just but a year. But it didn't matter. We had grown so close; our feelings were beyond description. With all of the attacks, it was hard to be happy when the holidays rolled around. But sometimes, you have to take a deep breath and go on with living life. I had been planning to stay around school, help control the students staying behind, but I couldn't turn down the invitation I received one December morning._

*~*~*

"No, pig's spleen is not even _in_ the potion. You need to know the importance of pig's _tail. Which is quite easy to remember, Charlotte, if you use the simple acronym-"_

"Here Lily, you need another pastry." Sirius said, chewing obnoxiously and shoving the platter in front of her. A few of the sweet rolls fell to the floor as Lily pushed the platter back, shaking her head and resuming her breakfast table study group. Winter holidays were just days away, and the students found themselves drowning in quizzes and tests. 

"Alright, so the importance of pig's tail is?" Lily asked the girls, frowning when nobody answered. "Did you study at _all_ for this exam?" The girls remained silent, staring blankly as Lily gritted her teeth. It surely shouldn't be _her_ responsibility to make sure everyone passed. Lately, she found herself using all of her valuable time to make sure they passed their tests, and they weren't even studying on their own. "Alright, so we have a test today and none of you have studied, yet somehow you think that I will magically teach you all the material 15 minutes before the class." Lily tried to remain as calm as possible, yet there was a hint of anger in her voice. "Well," She said, standing up and gathering her books, "I advise you study, class starts shortly." Watching her walk away, the other girls could not believe that Lily Evans had stood up on their study session. The girls weren't the only ones who noticed, James Potter was sitting just down the table, and he rushed after Lily, wondering what was wrong.

"Lily, love, what's wrong?" He said, making his way towards her. Her eyes were cloudy with tears and she looked extremely irritated. 

"It's just," She said, her volume increasing with every word, "I'm not, they can't just, this is _so annoying_! I've used _all_ my free time studying for that exam, and they just _expect me to be "Professor Lily" and teach everything to them in 5 minutes. They were out having fun, and now I get to teach them. It's not like _I_ have anything else on my mind, no, of course not. Head Girl Evans only thinks of _school_, but what a friend to have around on a test day!" Lily wasn't really talking to James; she was mostly just venting frustration. They trudged down the hallway, James realizing they were heading for the potions room. James racked his head for what to say, he didn't really see the situation as irritating as did, but he could tell she was upset._

"Shhh. It's ok, just don't worry about them. They're nothing." James said, his arm finding its way onto Lily's shoulder. Lily's mouth remained frozen in a scowl. "Lil, they can't help it if they have as big of brain as a flobberworm." He laughed gently in hopes to brighten her spirit; unfortunately it did nothing of the sort.

"I mean, it's not like they even _want_ me around at other times-"

"Lils, honestly, listen to me. Please." He moved in front of her, causing her to come to a complete halt. "You're a great person, Lily. And so what if those girls aren't the greatest of friends, Lily, they can just sod off. Sirius, Remus, Peter. Me. We're your friends. You know that, Lily, and _I_ know this isn't just about those girls. You're stressed out. I am too, but you _really_ need a break." James stated, taking her hand as they resume the walk towards the potions room. 

"Hm," She paused, wiping her eyes dry. "I suppose you're right. Lucky for me, the holidays are close." Lily's mouth finally broke into a small smile, thinking of how relaxing a break sounded. James grinned back.

"Speaking of, Ms. Evans, Sirius and I would love to have you over for the holidays." James looked at Lily, his round hazel eyes glinting under the high lights in the hall. Lily opened her mouth, gaping in complete surprise.

"Mr. Potter!" She laughed. "James! That's so generous of you! Really, that's great! But," She rolled her eyes. "I can just imagine the look on my parents' faces, 'Mum, Dad, I'm spending my holiday at my boyfriend's house, don't worry about me.' I'd never be allowed." She said, pouting slightly. "Thanks for offering, though," Lily reached over with her free hand to ruffle his hair. "Anyways, I'm sure I'll manage fine. I'm staying here again this year, and it should be okay. Told my parents staying here was part of being Head Girl. Don't think that they'd buy that staying at the Head Boy's house was part of the job, though." She smirked.

James looked slightly put out until he realized the perfect plan. "Lily, you told your mum you were staying here for the holidays?" Lily looked over at James and smiled, following what he was hinting at.

"Yes, but-"

"No, this is too perfect, you're coming." He grinned audaciously at her, and to his surprise, she smiled back, just as widely.

"Messr. Potter! The Head Boy, encouraging the student body to lie to their parents? Tsk, tsk!" She clicked her tongue as they neared the room, hand in hand.

*~*~*

_James__ invited me to go to his house for our break. Surely my parents would have been upset about the idea, but __James__ and I weren't going to go get pissed and wild every night, so I figured what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Hiding a secret was never something I was extremely talented at, so I had __James__ help me with the note I attached with their Christmas gifts. If I didn't really write it, it wasn't really a lie. I would have never considered the idea before, but my life was different, and I needed a break from my duties at Hogwarts. After the pile of homework and notes had disappeared, the tests taken and assignments handed in, it was time to board the train home. Technically, we could have just apparated from Hogesmede, but the idea of riding the train was so much more fun. I was so excited! I rode with __James__ and Sirius, Remus and _Peter___ were staying behind, and we had our very own compartment. We ate sweets and played games, both of the boys really knew how to brighten one's spirit. We got off the train, and while still on the platform, apparated to __James__' house. It was unbelievable. His family was obviously very wealthy, and the manor they lived in was anything but small. The grounds surrounding the house were amazing; there was a forest in the back and a pond to the left. It was really a dream house; I couldn't imagine how much fun it must have been to grow up there. Sirius and __James__ showed me to a large guest room on the 4th floor; however there were enough guest rooms in the manor to accommodate the entire Gryffindor population. James' parents were dear people, very friendly and polite. They were a fully pure blooded family, yet they were absolutely wonderful towards me. __James_' mum employed many house elves yet was always the one to do the cooking and make the tea. Sweet, sweet woman. The group of us talked frequently about current events and happenings, the attacks were our main point of conversation. James' dad worked for the ministry, something to do with illegal uses of magic. I'm sure he would have been quite distraught to know about his son's Anamagi secret, thankfully he never found out. Anyways, on Christmas, Sirius decorated purely in mistletoe, causing some laughs when I was forced to kiss both him and __James___ multiple times. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, thank goodness, were nowhere to be found that afternoon. I would have been dreadfully embarrassed with them there, mind you! The air outside was chilly and snow lined the ground, I spent many evenings just walking outside with __James_. The holidays ended much too quickly, and before long we were back at Hogwarts. Attacks had slowed over the holidays; Merlin's beard I was thankful. The hustle and bustle of school quickly came back into action, as did the duties of being a supporting role model for students, but that was part Head Girl. When I got stressed, ___James__ and I would just retreat to the lake, it was so quite, so peaceful there. I really loved __James__, I couldn't have ever imagined myself loving him, but I really did. I had been shocked, excited yet shocked, when Dumbledore had chosen __James_ for Head Boy. Now, nobody could have convinced me there was anyone better. In March, Sirius received a large bit of gold, from an uncle, and bought a flat to move into after Hogwarts. It was still hard, at that time, to imagine life after school. Towards May of that year, Dumbledore called myself and __James___ to his office. Wizards, those on blatantly "our" side, were uniting in secret to try and overtake the dark force. Of course _James___ and I were both delighted that Dumbledore had asked if we wanted to be involved. We both said yes, both excitedly, and both were told that after we left Hogwarts we would know what to do. We were mature enough to handle any job offered, and I think Dumbledore realized that. School and tests came and went, and before long, we were saying goodbye to Hogwarts. Sirius and Remus, as well as a few others from our year, were let in on the idea, and, as I understand, every one of them had decided to join forces. I had nowhere to go in the wizarding realm, and luckily _James___ spoke up. My parents had given me a small amount of gold to make payments on a decent flat, quite near the city. However, _James___ suggested that instead I move into an empty room in his parents' manor, we were all to be working together, and he suggested I save the money. His parents had plenty of room to spare, so with some cleaver arguments to my parents, I was in. Sirius visited frequently for tea, his presence was always welcome. __James__' parents were very fond of both Sirius and I; it was always pleasant at the Potter household. I went home for a visit that summer, and I'll never forget that afternoon. Attacks were ever frequent that summer, occurring more than anyone could have expected. Voldemort, the evil wizard, was gaining power, and the lot of us fighting against him were almost powerless. Petunia and I were in the living room, staring at each other with nothing much to say, when it_ happened. It was sudden, and it didn't last for very long. A dementor, one of the most horrid things you could ever imagine, swooped through the house. Being a muggle, Petunia couldn't see the figure, but she could most certainly feel it. Being around a dementor, it's the most horrible feeling in the world, the worst moments in your life, moments you may not even remember fill your head, and everything is ice cold. It wasn't in the house for very long, and I'm almost certain it just came because it sensed my presence. At the time, the ministry was trying to recruit the dementors away from Voldemort, and it seemed this one had just flown astray. Luckily, he wasn't hungry, or he may have gone in for a kiss. Let me tell you, a kiss from a dementor is worse than death itself. Anyways, Petunia was scared stiff, and it took quite a lot of talk from me to explain what happened. Nevertheless, Petunia hurriedly shoed me out of the house, it seemed her theory that us "freaks" are dangerous had just proved itself, so it was time for me to leave. That summer Petunia wed ___Vernon__ Dursley, her boyfriend of a few years. I attended, but my sister only greeted me with a scowl. _

_*~*~*_

"So Lily, you've finished school then? Are you to be attending the university in the fall?" A short, stout man with an obnoxiously wiry beard asked. Lily figured he was some long lost relative or another, and had, much to her personal objection, been conversing with him for the last 7 minutes.

"Hm, no I believe not. I think I am taking some time off from school at the moment." Lily smiled, the man frowning slightly.

"School is very important, Miss Evans. I thought you'd be one to follow in the footsteps of that wonderful sister of yours." The man said, eyeing Petunia from across the living room, dressed fully in bridal gown and shoes. "Ah, Petunia!" He said, quickly leaving Lily and darting over to her older sister. He started to speak loudly to her, but she brushed past him and walked towards Lily. 

"Who invited _you_ here?" She said, frowning as she made eye contact with her younger sister. Lily rolled her eyes, turning away, when Petunia grabbed her shoulder.

"We are not talking, but if you bring any of you funny business here, if you do any of those _tricks_, honest to God you will wish you'd never been born, Lily. Vernon, Vernon's family, they do _not _need to know what kind of a freak you are, understand me?" Petunia's horse-like face was glaring at Lily, who simply nodded yes. She had learned years ago that it was best to just let Petunia's spiteful remarks glide past her, and she found herself not caring much what was said anyway. She knew she wouldn't trade her life for anything, especially not the snooty, nosy life Petunia led.

_*~*~*_

_My parents still respected me, but I think the attacks were making them nervous, too. Things with Dumbledore were moving slowly; ideas on how to overtake evil had, so far, all proved powerless against the dark force. James and I, along with the others, met with some of the brightest wizards around; I was honored to be a part of it._

*~*~*

**A/N: Ahhh okay, this high amount of cheesiness was not supposed to be in here, but alas, somehow the story has been overtaken by it! Everything is a bit OCC but I'm trying to turn it around! Let me know what you think of the story so far by dropping a review. Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I am the process of making all of the P's in previous chapters in the word "prefect" lowercase. My bad!**

__________________

cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com


	11. The Treacle Tart

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: The Treacle Tart

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns the entire world of Harry Potter, I own the books.  Don't sue me; I'm not making money from this. 

**A/N:** Hah! I know last chapter was nothing, it was basically a time-filler.  It was rushed, but I truly think it will make more sense later! Onto the story…

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_James__ and I worked well together, I think it was a nice break from the rigor of school, yet we still were occupied.  Neither of us had jobs, but that wasn't a problem for James, nor myself, as I still had a bit of the money my parents sent.  James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and I all worked about, doing odd jobs for the group.  We were sent to be lookouts, guards, all sorts of strange jobs. You can't imagine the number of people on our side; it was amazing to me that we hadn't made much progress with such a large group as we had.   One evening, while everyone was out doing their duties, James and I decided to take a break, and we headed to a restaurant, not too far from his home._

*~*~*

"-of course, James! Everything was wonderful!" Lily said, politely wiping her mouth and hands with the cloth napkin.  The waiter stopped back at the table, asking if the duo would like any dessert.  James and Lily flipped through the menu for fun, laughing when they saw the picture of a treacle tart.  It brought back memories of the Hogwarts Express, the snack cart was always well stocked with the sweet tarts.  James decided they must order two of the molasses-filled treats, and while they were waiting, he went to the bathroom.  While he was gone, Lily thought pensively about her history with James, and how nice it was to be in his presence, alone, in good spirits once again.  He returned around the same time as the waiter with the dessert. James graciously passed one of Lily the pastries, putting the other in front of himself.  The sugary-sweet smell was wonderful, but as Lily bit into the tart, something scraped against her teeth.  James was watching intently as Lily pulled a diamond and emerald adorned ring out of her mouth.  A bit puzzled at first, she realized what was happening just as-

"Lily Elizabeth Evans, will you marry me?" He took her hands in his, as she quickly nodded yes, sealing her answer with a molassesy-sweet kiss.

*~*~*

_While at the restaurant, after dinner, he asked me to marry him.  My stomach was filled with butterflies, tied into a knot.  I without doubt wanted to, but I felt like I had lost my voice.  Once I finally managed to overcome the excitement, I became engaged to __James__.  We returned back to his manor, I'm sure I was still grinning uncontrollably.  Remus, Sirius, and Peter; they were all in the parlor, discussing that night's action.  I felt the need to call my mother, so I escorted myself out of the room, and I'm sure that's when __James__ broke the news to our friends._

*~*~*

"-And I just sat there, looking at her-" 

"Yes, well, I've always said Evans is quite well built, in all the right places, of course." Sirius said deviously.  Remus held back a laugh.

"No! I didn't mean anything like that." James said, almost bitterly.  "I looked into her eyes, and she looked so, so absolutely perfect.  I realized I didn't know a damn thing about her before, but now it feels as if I've known her for ages, my entire life, and just being with her--"

"And I'm the 'hopeless romantic'?!" Remus said, punching Sirius in the arm.

"Fine, Prongs is the hopeless romantic, you're just hopeless." Sirius said, grinning back at Remus, who was now scowling.

"--Urrgh! Let me finish!" James burst out. "As I was saying, I have this connection with her, and it's so much more than looks.  So," He grinned even larger, "I asked her."

"You bloody bastard! Did she say yes?" Sirius said, now intent on listening to every word of James' story.

"Do you actually think I'd being telling you if she hadn't?" James raised an eyebrow while maintaining a large smile. "Slipped the ring into her dessert." He chucked smugly, remembering the look of Lily's face as she pulled the ring out.

*~*~*

_My parents were delighted, the boys were thrilled.  I don't think I've ever blushed a more stunning scarlet as when all three of the boys surrounded me at the base of the steps.  James, of course, was a few feet away from the crowd, but we smiled at each other as I received congratulations from the boys.  James and I wanted to be wed quickly, with the way the world was at that time and everything.  I had just turned 18, but I was ready to be married, and I assure you I was a mature 18 at that.  The wedding took place at the end of August, we had arranged everything quickly.  Married straight out of Hogwarts, that's what friends kept telling us.  It was one of the most wonderful days ever, the weather was beautiful, and the ceremony was beautiful.  My parents were quite in shock at __James__ and my apparel, dress robes instead of a tux and gown, but it was something they needed to get used to. Sirius, being the closest thing James had to a brother, was the best man, with _Peter___ and Remus being ushers.  I asked Petunia to be my maid of honor, but she refused to wear dress robes, and basically declined to come period.  Somehow, my mum roped her into coming, but she just sat with my parents.  I had a few girls from Hogwarts as my bridesmaids.  Not much of my family could come, it wasn't extended relatives like Petunia's nuptials were, as it was best not to let too many muggles in on our secret.  As much as I wanted to have the reception at Hogwarts, it just wouldn't work with my family, and so it was held in a large hotel reception room in __London__.  That night was filled with so much happiness, so much laughter. It was amazing; it felt like the beginning of my life._

*~*~*

"Well that was a lovely ceremony, wasn't it?" Lily said, shutting the door to the hotel room they were sharing in muggle London.  James was fiddling with the television set, causing Lily to giggle.  When James heard the door click, he looked back at Lily, grinning.  

"Hello, Mrs. Potter." He said, his eyes glinting in the darkly lit room.  Lily moved closer, pressing her mouth against his.  It was a deep, passionate kiss, and their hands began to roam around each other's bodies.  As James was starting to unbutton Lily's dress robes, a loud knock pounded on the door.  "Mmm," James said, pulling away to answer the door.  His hair was even messier than usual, and Lily laughed inwardly at the sight as she sat down on the bed, wondering who was at the door.  James swung it open, and it was none other that Sirius Black.

"Why, hello! Just thought I should come wish the bride and groom goodnight! James, you look awful!  You better get to sleep mate, just look at your hair!" Sirius was still grinning cheekily as James, his face with the utmost look of hatred on it, slammed the door in his face.

*~*~*

_A few days after the wedding, when things had settled down, __James__ and I moved into our own flat.  It felt odd to be, erm, sharing a bedroom at his parents' house, and we needed a place of our own anyway.  It was great, we were finally out on our own, and we were married.  Though the world was in chaos, it somehow felt warmer with _James___ by my side._

*~*~*

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter was a little clichéd, I just thought it would be cute! =) It was short, but that's ok! I'd love for you to review and tell me what you think --any comments are welcome! 3 more chapters to go! =)**

__________________

cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com__


	12. Yet Another Marauder

**Title:** Goodnight, Stars

**Chapter**: Yet Another Marauder

**Author:** Cinnamon Sunrise

**Rating:** PG-13 

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, right. Like _I_ own Harry Potter… 

**A/N: **Yeah, yeah, Lily and James are both still really young.  That's the way I'm writing it for a reason. So yes, they are young, but I had conflicts doing it any other way.

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_Our work with Dumbledore got tiring after awhile, but there nobody could stop us until Voldemort was gone.  Throughout the fall of that year, James and I were the some of group's most devoted aids, we dedicated our lives to it; our intelligence, our money, our time, everything.  And it was worth it.  We met so many great witches and wizards, and with much effort we joined the ranks of the most respected. Our flat became a regular home to meetings and members, housing those in between duties. More and more deaths were occurring at a sporadic, yet frighteningly large, occurrence.   I can remember that year, 1978; the change in season was dramatic, the great leap from fall to winter.    It was then that I found out some of the greatest news of my life. Something so grand that it counteracted all the grief of daily life.  I was pregnant.  _

*~*~*

"Oh, no, Sirius. Ha, ha, it's nothing, really." Lily said, tossing her long red hair behind her shoulders.  She was sprawled across one of the comfortable burgundy sofas in the Potter residence, looking quite peaky.  Early that morning, the group had met for a quick meeting at the apartment.  James had taken off directly afterwards for an assignment involving his father's ministry department.  Lily had just returned from an afternoon of errands, and had already made two trips to the loo since arriving home.  Sirius had promised her repeatedly that he would no longer insist on preparing breakfast for the meetings, and Lily found herself laughing, reassuring him that the eggs and toast were not what had caused her queasiness.  Consequently, though, the more she thought about the runny eggs and burnt toast, the more she inwardly agreed with Sirius' plea.  Sirius asked if Lily needed some sort of a spell to ease her stomach, she just smiled and shook her head.  "Really, Sirius, it's absolutely nothing."  Sirius looked puzzled, yet with sympathy he fetched a glass of ice water for her to sip on.  While he was sitting back down in one of the chairs, the door swung open, and a very hot and sweaty James Potter appeared.

"Hullo!" He said brightly, kicking off of his shoes and walking over to the sitting area were Sirius and Lily were relaxing.  Sirius and Lily both replied with a subtle hello back.  "How are you, love?" He pecked her cheek, eyeing the glass of water on the coffee table.

"Go ahead." Lily said, nodding at the glass. The color was returning to her face, she was more than delighted to see James that afternoon. She was also exceedingly happy that it seemed James' day had gone well; it looked as though neither trial nor tragedy had struck his day.

"Thank you," James said, downing the water quickly.  He walked hurriedly to the kitchen to refill the glass, and in his absence, Lily straightened up.  Sirius sat silent, still in the arm chair, paging through a Quidditch magazine James had taken a subscription out for.  

"James, you look quite content.  Your day went well, did it?" Lily asked, looking up into James' hazel eyes, grinning.  James nodded.

"Just had to go get a bit of information from a few of the fellows my dad works with, mostly outside work. Quite an easy task, if I do say so. One of the guys from the games department showed me a new Quidditch area; you know I hadn't played a bit of Quidditch since school?  Not one game.  So when I finished my duty, I went back out and we played for awhile.  What did your day hold, Lily?"  James was looking at the magazine from behind Sirius' shoulder, still smiling widely.

"Oh, well quite a bit, really.  After breakfast, I ran down to Diagon Alley, had to run a few errands, that sort of thing.  I came back here, and the three of us have just been relaxing."  Lily grinned toothily.

"Oh, that's nice, love." James said, still looking at the magazine.  "Three of you, eh? Where'd Remus go off to now?"

"Remus? Why I'd have thought for sure you'd remember, James.  Tonight's a full moon, he isn't anywhere around here.  Wasn't at the meeting either, dear, you do remember, don't you? There was an empty chair, and everyone kept asking you if Remus was very ill." Lily was still smiling through her words.

"Oh, yeah, that's right.  Did you two have company then?  Who came over?"  Sirius looked up from the magazine at Lily, studying her, his eyes panning from Lily's face, to her belly, and quickly back to her face. An expression of realization crept across his face.  He winked at Lily.

"No, not company. Just us." Sirius motioned between himself and Lily.  James stood in confusion, taking another sip from the glass.

"That's right, James.  Just Sirius, myself, and the baby." Lily said casually.  It took James a minute to comprehend what she meant, but unfortunately, as his face broke into the biggest grin possible, the water glass came crashing to the ground with a smash.  Lily and Sirius laughed, as James, who was now a deep shade of red, yet still smiling uncontrollably, fumbled around for his wand to repair the broken glass.

*~*~*

_James__ was thrilled, of course.  There had been no doubt in my mind since early 7th year that he would make a wonderful father, and the time in between then and that afternoon had only secured my thoughts.  I have never seen that man so ecstatic, so delighted.  Sirius was elated too, as were Remus and __Peter__.  Sirius especially, I think, because __James__ and I had asked if he would be Godfather.  Peter was out of the question, I mean, he was a great guy, but he lacked dependability.  It was him who lost the Marauder's Map in 7th year, and believe me, __James__ had never fully gotten over that.  Remus was the sensible choice, being the responsible, nice guy he was, as I told James while we were discussing the matter, yet Sirius was almost an uncle as it was.  Both would make a lovely Godfather, but _James___' bond with Sirius was like nothing else, so the choice was obvious.  James and Sirius, I swear those two are as inseparable as it gets.  Honestly, there hasn't been a day I can remember, not one day that they've spent without talking and joking with each other.  It's nice, really; Sirius has become a brotherly figure to __James__, and __James__ and myself a family to Sirius.  You have to remember, that although all of us were, are, still young, we've been through more than you could ever imagine.  Death had been close, you see, for even us a few times, being involved with the "good" side. Members of our group had been murdered themselves, others torched into an almost lifeless existence. Into spring, as my stomach grew larger, I was faded out of the active duties of our side.  Dumbledore and the others didn't want to risk the lives of both myself and an unborn infant, I suppose. For me, it was very distressing not to be active anymore, for doing my duties had become my life.  James filled me in on all of the important happenings of the days and I still sat in on the meetings, whenever I felt good enough to attend.  Let me rephrase that, whenever I didn't feel horrible, I would attend the gatherings.  I needed the group, you see.  I felt like I was doing something so worthy, so great.  My sister delivered her son, __Dudley__Dursley__, in the early summer; I knew I wasn't far behind.  Throughout that summer, my-, my mum was a frequent visitor to our place, and she brought pictures of my nephew.  Neither my sister nor her husband has ever taken much interest in our family, 'suppose it has something to do with our involvement in the wizarding world. Petunia was still sore about something related to me, probably my entire existence, so I was not allowed to meet her son, but no matter.  He was quite an enormous baby in the pictures, just massive. Gets that from his dad's side, I believe. Never did like that __Vernon__ much, but I was always friendly towards him, which is more than I can say about him.  Nasty, grumpy man he could be.  The lot of them moved into a house, purchased with the help of my parents, in Little Whining.  I had a cousin, my father's side, who was quite a pleasant man with a lovely wife; they lived just by my sister and her family.   That summer, the hot, sticky days of July were seemed endless, and on the very last day of the month, it happened.  __James__ and I picked the name __Harry__James__Potter__, born weighing 3 and a half kilograms was born.  I went into labor very early in the morning, and by _midday___ on July 31, it was over.  James wasn't allowed into the room until right after the birth, but I'll never forget the look on his face when father met son._

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"Lils?" James asked hesitantly, walking into the room.  A couple of medi-witches grinned at him as he made his way to Lily's bedside.  She had been given a few strong potions, which had completely eased the pains of natural childbirth.  As James approached her, he was met with Lily's sparkling emerald eyes, and the piercing cry of the newborn boy.

"James." Lily said, her voice soothing and quiet.  Her face was laden with droplets of sweat, yet to James, she looked flawless.  "James, meet your son."  James was beaming as Lily handed the freshly swaddled baby to its father.  He immediately noticed the eyes, which already looked a hazy green.  He supposed they would look just like his mummy's in due time, like two brilliantly jade orbs.  The baby had a bit of downy fluffy hair on his head, already ebony like his father's.  James laughed inwardly, the tiny infant's crying ceased as he gently rocked it back and forth in his arms.  "Harry." Lily said plainly, still staring at her husband and new born with a look of absolute adoration.

"Yes, Harry _James__._  Harry James Potter."  James studied the baby's tiny facial features, his delicate, miniature hands.  "It's perfect." James said as the baby's grandparents began flowing into the room.

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_He was in complete ecstasy, let me tell you.  My parents were quite confused, in the wizarding hospital, you know, but they were very happy too.  It's not every day a new grandson enters your life.  Mr. and Mrs. Potter, senior, they were both completely ecstatic, too.  Their first grandchild, with __James_ being an only child.__  They weren't very old, even, but ___Mrs.__Potter__ was so delighted to be a grand-mum.  It was the last time we were all in a room together, I believe.  My parents, _James__' parents, us.__  Maybe there was, no I believe that was it.  But what a wonderful day it was.  Sirius, Remus, ___Peter__.  They all came, too.  None of them were, are, married, nor are they even dreaming about starting a family, I don't suppose.  But they all congratulated us, and I remember feeling wonderful when they jumped right in, wanting to hold my dear son in their arms, chuckling at silly little things.  Ha, ha, it was then, in Sirius' arms, that I realized that I had not only birthed a son that morning.  No, it was __James__Potter__'s son, destined to be yet another marauder. _

*~*~*

**A/N: For some reason, my paid subscription is *not* expiring like it was supposed to August 27. SO, if you have me on "author alerts," you will probably still get them. Sorry if you get an email from me & from them. Hah! Anyways, this chapter isn't the best, but only one more chapter (_the important one!) to go…And possibly an epilogue, I'm still not sure about that.  Have a marvelous day, and please remember to review! ~x~ Natalie_**

Ooh, big thanks for the eye-color thing, I can't believe I discarded that fact.  Oops! It's all changed as of now, in all of the chapters, as is the annoying capitalization.  I also found a quite a few typos.  Annoying typos, too.  So sorry! 

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cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com__


	13. Goodnight, Stars

**Title: Goodnight, Stars**

**Author: Cinnamon Sunrise**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all related to Harry Potter. I own nothing.  This little story was created in my head but everything in it is owned by Joanne Kathleen Rowling.**

**A/N: =( Short. I'm sorry, but it had to be this way.**

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_Time went by as time tends to do, but that year was filled with the most unfortunate of events.  My parents, that winter, were killed.  It was a mishap, a muggle automobile accident, and it was horrible.  I missed them horribly, but I had my baby, and that kept me going.  A hard few months, yet __James__ was so soothing, he really helped me grieve.  Most horrible, actually, was when Petunia treated me, us, absolutely horribly at our own parents' funeral.  It was hard enough being there, yet Petunia made it worse, saying snide remarks about _James___ to those in attendance, lunging her son into everyone's arms. I suppose as to distract them from us.  Petunia seemed almost ignorant to the fact that our parents had just died, instead shoving her nose into everyone's conversations, stealing the attention for herself, and her enormously large son. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to wallow in mourning, life has to go on.  I needed to be there for my family, I knew my baby would only be little for so long.  I surrounded myself, taking extra jobs with the group while __James__ stayed home, or occupying myself completely with being a mother. It was just something I had to do.   As the time drifted on, there were milestones, of course.  First word, just short of one year of age, that kind of thing.  First word, by the way, being Daddy.  And my was Daddy ever happy.  He is a great dad, you know.  He really has turned into one of the most caring people I could imagine, just a very, very generous man.  I can't really express how proud I am of __James__, but maybe that says enough.  Voldemort; although he's still out there, I wouldn't doubt if __James__ is the one to finally defeat him. __James__, he's just so, so dedicated.  Right before the prophecy, the one that caused us to move here, the unimaginable happened to _James___, and yet he remained so strong, so devoted to Dumbledore.  You see, my love, __James__' parents were killed in a ministry raid, death eaters, working for the opposite side as us.  They sorted out a few employees of the ministry, not very picky about those they chose to kill.  The Potters had quite a large sum of money, and were obviously opposed to Voldemort's reign.  And, to put it quite bluntly, they were a pureblood family who let their only son marry a mudblood, and they had a child.  The bloodline was dirty.  And Merlin knows that was horrible, in their eyes at least.  So what a perfect attack for them, but it left me devastated.  James was crushed too, of course, but it only gave him more reason to stand and fight, giving him a solid reason behind what he was doing.  Then the prophecy came.  Dumbledore, actually, was the one that told us about it.  It's really no worry, though, with all the security of Godric's Hollow.  Sirius, naturally, was our choice for secret keeper, and as long as he's loyal, we're safe.  Sirius is nothing but loyal, I'm sure he'd give his life up for James, so believe you me, we are very safe here.  Oh, dear sweetheart, I didn't realize how late it has become.  I've been rambling for hours, it seems.  Daddy should be home soon.  Close your eyes now, love, for tomorrow is Halloween, and that will be very fun indeed.  Merlin knows that just because we are in Godric's Hallow doesn't mean we can't make it special.  So, my dear love __Harry__, goodnight to the moon with its yellowish glow, and goodnight to the stars that twinkle in the sky. Oh, my darling baby, I love you more than you'll ever know._

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**Author's Note: Sorry that was so very short, but…wow. It's over. This was actually the second chapter I wrote, but I tweaked with it a little today to make it fit in better with all the chapters.  I wanted it to end in the same style as the introduction.  I'm considering posting an epilogue, but to tell you the truth, I'm completely torn as to if I should just *leave* it like this.  Oh well, time will tell if I post it or not.  So…I hope you enjoyed reading my first fic, and I always love a review, be it good, bad, or ugly.**

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cinnamonsunrise@hotmail.com


	14. Epilogue

**Goodnight, Stars**

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Epilogue**

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**Grrr****.**  I accidentally doubled my last chapter, and, apparently, you can't delete the last chapter of a story.  So, because I don't want 2 of the same chapters, I've split the "Thanks" and "Epilogue" up.  Sorry about that! ****

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Ok, here it is.  I'm not posting an entire chapter as an epilogue, but here is a little bit to finish it off…I hope I didn't overdo it! I'd really prefer if you thought of this as added info or something, keeping the ending of my story as last chapter. 

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**Epilogue**

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_"…Goodnight to the stars that twinkle in the sky. Oh, my darling baby, I love you more than you'll ever know."  _Light poured into the dark space.  A painful ring echoed through Harry's ears as he shot up, awakening to find himself in Professor Binns' classroom.  Harry rubbed his eyes; it certainly wasn't the first time he had dosed off during History of Magic, but the dream, or whatever had occurred in his mind during the sleep, had been extremely strange.  Not that it was unpleasant. No, not by any means; though it had been somewhat haunting.  It was nothing like the dreams that had filled his mind during 5th year; in fact, it wasn't really much of anything.  There had been a voice, clear and vivid, one Harry immediately recognized.  It had been the same voice that had greeted him from Voldemort's wand, the same tone that sent piercing chills up his spine when a dementor was near.   It was light, and full of life.  It was his mother's.  As Professor Binns began to explain the assignment for that evening, the simple words that had been imprinted in his mind during the dream began to float off, just as dreams tend to do.  The professor glided across the blackboard, signaling the dismissal of class.  Harry packed up his parchment, without a sound, and walked quickly out of the room.  Ron and Hermione, his closest of friends, caught up with him in the hall.  They had been quite worried as they watched Harry wake, startled, from his sleep.  Hermione was nervous that Voldemort had found another way to penetrate his mind, and Ron was quite worried that Harry had foreseen some tragic event, recalling in his mind what had occurred with the snake and his father.  

"No." Harry said simply, an answer to his friends' questions regarding Voldemort.  "I reckon that dream had little to do with Voldemort."  His thoughts were still on hearing his departed mother's voice. The voice refused to leave his mind, random and displaced words echoing through his thoughts.

"That's good, mate, because I'm starved." Ron said, gripping Hermione's hand as they made their way towards the Great Hall.  Hermione shot Ron a look of disgust, her eyes still fixated on Harry's.  They were glassy, clouded, and Hermione, for once, was at a loss for words.  Before she could say anything, Harry came to a halt, looking at his friends.

"It wasn't Voldemort, it was my mum."

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Stay tuned on ff.net for other stories by *cinnamon sunrise*****


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